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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
John Crace

Down, down, deeper and Dowden: how can Rishi’s stand-in be so useless?

Oliver Dowden at PMQs
Oliver Dowden at PMQs, the Dunning-Kruger effect in action. Photograph: UK parliament/AFP/Getty Images

It had come billed as the great set-piece of the parliamentary week. Month even. With Rishi Sunak away in Germany – strange how the prime minister so often finds the only free slot in his diary is a Wednesday – prime minister’s questions was delegated to the two deputies.

It was the first time Oliver Dowden and Angela Rayner had had a chance to go head to head since the Daily Mail had taken a voyeuristic interest in the possibility that Labour’s deputy leader had failed to pay capital gains tax on the sale of a home. There are now reportedly 12 police officers investigating the disputed £1.4K. Obviously a terrific use of resources. Beats solving burglaries any day.

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