For years he was the shadowy figure directing education policy behind the scenes at Downing Street. But since his transformation into a Lord and minister, Andrew Adonis has been shoved, blinking, into the spotlight.
Scarier still, he’s had to start meeting pupils. As a final act before escaping on holiday to France, Adonis visited Hampstead’s ‘Do it 4 Real’
music and drama summer camp . There the former Oxford don was forced into photo-ops with gaggles of singing-and-dancing young thesps.
The minister maintained a rictus smile through such songs as “We’re hoopy and we’re loopy, we like to sing and danceWe like to roll round on the floor and throw our underpants”. But his obvious discomfort only seemed to endear him more to the teenagers. They also seemed impressed by his promise to improve the camp’s food: “We’ll send in Jamie!” he cried. If only bossing the Naked Chef around was so easy.
