I had the closest thing I have ever had to an out-of-body experience lying in bed one morning. I turned on the 'Today' programme and item four on the news was: 'The shadow chancellor has ruled himself out of the leadership.' I lay there thinking that's interesting, then I realised it was me.

Under the successive leaderships of Michael Howard and David Cameron he remained on the Prime Minister's Questions team. " Rothschild had hosted Deripaska Osborne and Lord Mandelson at a party in his villa in Corfu. Osborne's actions.

He is the heir apparent to the Osborne baronetcy (of Ballentaylor in County Tipperary and Ballylemon in County Waterford). He has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.