Committee Chair Harriet Harman was visibly upset with her bombastic witness Boris Johnson

Two great political beasts faced off in the showdown at Portcullis House.

Committee Chair Harriet Harman was visibly upset by her bombastic testimony – and let it show.

Boris Johnson claimed to have “the utmost respect” for the Labor veteran before glaring at her for “clearly and incorrectly anticipating” him by comments she made “before reading the evidence”.

She pursed her lips as he offered to “reduce your early remarks to the headlines of politics” and continue.

Boris Johnson gives his testimony at the Partygate Committee hearing, which took place today

But Ms Harman’s thinly disguised dislike of Mr Johnson came out repeatedly during the testy hearing of evidence.

His explanation to Sir Bernard Jenkin that social distancing is not easy in the “cluttered” corridors of 10 Downing Street prompted her to interject: “We’re not talking about cluttered corridors. Next question from Sir Bernard!’

Mr Johnson’s easygoing manner – at one point he blithely informed her that “much of this interrogation is theoretically irrelevant, but I’ll take it easy” – did nothing to improve Ms Harman’s mood.

More than once she gave credence to Mr Johnson’s suspicion that she had already made up her mind about his fate.

She told him she found it “difficult” to understand the idea that he needed “reassurance” from officials about an event he attended and saw “with his own eyes”.

He looked stunned when she offered a metaphor about “driving at 100 miles an hour” and saw it “with my own eyes” on a speedometer.

Labor MP Harriet Harman chaired the cross-party committee of MPs investigating the scandal