You’ve got to hand it to Gordon Brown. He’s quite prepared to do more than the day job.

This week, he was at it again. He proclaimed that he was happy to replace Trident as Britain’s nuclear deterrent. Since when has defence policy been the responsibility of the Chancellor of the Exchequer?

Yes, we all know that Brown will be our next prime minister – as soon as he can bundle Blair out of number 10. But there’s something creepy about Mogadon Man’s endless declarations about every aspect of national life.

PS: If Gordon’s serious about taking over, he could commission a decent photo. The Treasury website carries an appalling passport snap of the cheerful one.