The Spectator summer party, in pictures | 6 July 2016

In recent weeks, Westminster politicians have found themselves compared to the characters of House of Cards and Game of Thrones over their post-referendum antics. Happily, parliamentarians were able to put such differences aside on Wednesday night as they took a well-deserved break from work at The Spectator summer party.

As Labour’s Rachel Reeves and Liz Kendall caught up with Liz Truss, Laurence Fox — the Lewis actor — put on a passionate display for the cameras with his male companion for the evening. Meanwhile with a Tory leadership contest underway, Theresa May made sure to do the rounds and rally support for her campaign at the champagne-fuelled bash. Her efforts did not go unrewarded, with Fox confiding to Steerpike that she was his preferred choice.

As for the Ukip leadership race? Douglas Carswell confessed that he remained ‘inconsolable’ over Nigel Farage’s resignation, while Christine Hamilton assured Mr S that her husband Neil Hamilton would not be running to be Farage’s successor; ‘it’s just not happening, he’s far too busy in Wales’.

Here are a selection of photos from the event, courtesy of Alan Davidson: