Sir Stuart was of course prominent at The Spectator party midweek and posed for photos brandishing the customary glass of bubbly. The soiree at its offices featured a reduced version of the guest list for the 180th birthday extravaganza at the Hyatt Regency six weeks ago, with diarist Joan Collins, playwright David Hare , Tessa Jowell , a gaggle of Tories including former editor and now mayor of London Boris Johnson, Michael and Sandra Howard, Lord Lamont, George Osborne, David Cameron, William Hague and ex-prisoner Jeffrey Archer .

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