My new favourite Conservative politician

The more I see of Philip Hammond on TV the more I like him.

Unlike the banal generalisations, assertions and absence of verifiable or even comprehensible argument that characterise the spin as speech of Labour politicians - especially Gordon Brown - Mr Hammond lays the position out clearly and in terms people can understand.

He is reasonable, and reasoned.

I'm hoping he'll get plenty of air time in the run up to Gordon smash and grab general election that his army of spin merchants is plotting in No 10.

See this interview with the BBC where he's backing George Osborn's warning about a possible run on the pound, and fending of the trap questions from the BBC.