Phil’s hair apparent

PHILIP HAMMOND’S dry-as-dust, local bank manager image clearly belies the virile reality. Staff in the Chancellor’s office are in awe of his extraordinary beard-growing powers. ‘It’s astonishing. He has to shave at least three times a day,’ says one admiringly. ANDREA LEADSOM knew she was never cut out to be Tory leader. Hours before she made her doomed bid to oppose May, Leadsom approached a fellow Minister and said: ‘I’m not ready for this. Why don’t you go for it and I’ll be your running mate?’ Despite her car crash of a campaign, she is still the winner: Leadsom was made Environment Secretary, while the Minister in question was booted to the backbenches. PENNY-PINCHERS in the Lords have removed the linen hand towels from the oak-panelled bathrooms and replaced them with a Dyson electric hand-dryer to save £6,000 a year. Sightseers will be upset – the famous ‘HoL’ brand on the towels meant they were often swiped as souvenirs.