Revealed: Cravat man who stole the show at Olly Robbins hearing is no stranger to the limelight as he tells why he was wearing THAT neckwear

It was the long-awaited moment Sir Olly Robbins broke his silence on the Lord Mandelson vetting scandal.

Yet it was the cravat-clad figure sitting just behind him who left the more lasting impression.

Donning a striped shirt, a red handkerchief and the distinctive neck piece, Andrew Edwards captivated the internet as he nodded along to the parliamentary proceedings.

Mr Edwards – revealed to be a town councillor in Wiltshire – has been attending parliamentary and court hearings for more than 20 years.

His presence at the Robbins hearing adds to an already extensive track record that includes high-profile moments such as Prince Harry at the High Court and the 2010 Iraq Inquiry.

Yet on X, spectators quickly began asking who he was – and questioning his eccentric dress sense. 

One watcher said: ‘Watching Sir Olly Robbins and @BBC Parliament.

‘Can anyone tell me who is the perpetual ‘Nodding Dog’ in the stripped shirt behind Olly Robbins please?’

Andrew Edwards (right) made a lasting impression at the Sir Olly Robbins (centre) hearing on Tuesday because of his quirky dress including a cravat and pocket handkerchief 

Others were quick to point out his quirky attire, adding: ‘A day with destiny and what does the chap behind Olly Robbins to the right of Dave Penman wear?

‘Blazer, striped shirt, red pocket square and strange leopard print thing around his neck?’

But for Mr Edwards, who lives in Islington in north London, wearing his trademark cravat is far from unusual – and neither is attending high-profile events such as this. 

Speaking to the Mail, Mr Edwards explained: ‘It’s about being smart.

‘I think that you should always make the effort to look like you’ve made an effort.’

Mr Edwards, who works for Southeastern Trains, has been filmed at many high-profile events including an Alistair Campbell appearance at the 2010 Iraq Inquiry and a Commons select committee scrutinising alleged BBC bias in 2025.

His motive for attending such high-profile meetings, he said, is because they are where the ‘hard work is done’. 

He said: ‘It helps me to understand is how government works because I only go to committees and court hearings – that is where the hard work is done.

Mr Edwards (right) was on hand when Alistair Campbell gave evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war in 2010

‘You can understand the detail of how these things happen and you’re better informed, when you’re discussing it with your friends and your colleagues, either in work or because you’ve been there and you understand how these matters work.’

He has also attended the first meetings of Shabana Mahmood at the Justice Committee and Liz Kendall at the Work and Pensions Committee, and witnessed Prince Harry at the High Court, where he alleges the prince was ‘slouched’ inhis seat.

Mr Edwards offered a similar critique of Sir Olly Robbins, the former top civil servant at the Foreign Office, whose hearing was on Tuesday.

He said: ‘He should have sat up straight. Those chairs are absolutely terrible for allowing you to ease back into them.

‘And so his answers could have been a lot sharper and more focused and it would not have taken two-and-a-half hours.’

The Robbins hearing – held on Tuesday before the Foreign Affairs select committee – saw Sir Olly claim No 10 was determined to push through its controversial choice of US ambassador, whatever the risks.

Sir Olly, 51, described the pressure placed on the Foreign Office to fast-track vetting checks so Mandelson could be dispatched to Washington DC in time for Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

He also told MPs on the committee that rejecting the appointment would have created a major problem.

Mr Edwards told the Mail he attends high-profile committee and court hearings because that is where ‘the hard work is done’. Here he watches over a hearing examining BBC bias

Sir Olly made another highly damaging revelation: that No 10 had privately lobbied for Sir Keir’s own spin doctor, Matthew Doyle, later disgraced over his links to a paedophile, to be appointed ambassador.

The civil servant spoke of his sadness at losing his role as permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office, and hinted the matter could end up in court, as he declined to disclose the precise circumstances of his dismissal by the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer. 

Yet on Sir Keir – who has been under the microscope since Sir Olly spoke – Mr Edwards added he believes his position is safe.

He said: ‘I do think that the Prime Minister is secure in his, in his post because I think that the government have a majority that can last until 2029.

‘I see no reason why the Prime Minister cannot be there because of his majority. 

‘And I don’t think that Mandelson’s appointment – although it’s a bad appointment – is so bad that it will bring him down, even if you pile it onto the other misfortunes.’

And for Mr Edwards – who has been attending hearings such as these for 20 years – there is another big week of hearings ahead.

He added: ‘I’ll be at [Morgan] McSweeney next week.

‘What I always say to people is whether you’re in Belfast, whether you’re in Edinburgh, whether you’re in Cardiff or whether you’re in London – all these committees are open.

‘I’m just a bloke. I really can’t emphasise that enough. 

‘I am just a bloke who goes and watches these committees in action because that’s where the hard work is done.’