Steerpike Steerpike

No dry January for the BBC’s finest

It was no expenses spared last night at One Great George Street to toast the departure of long-time Andrew Marr Show editor Barney Jones.

Most ‘leaving dos’ in journalism involve a few beers down the Dog and Duck but Aunty was an extremely kind benefactor, providing fine wines and canapés as well as music from Nick Lowe across three of the most expensive function rooms in Westminster. Three cheers for the licence fee!

Ed Miliband and George Osborne were there, alongside half the cabinet including Danny Alexander and Michael Fallon. Andrew Mitchell and David Davis plotted in the corner while Harriet Harman and Peter Hain represented Labour. Even Norman Tebbit made a rare public appearance, hobnobbing with Mariella Frostrup, the Archbishop of York even popped by on behalf of God.

His Lordship Tony Hall lavished praise on the departing Jones, although officially this was a celebration of twenty years of Breakfast With Frost and the Marr show.

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