George Osborne tried his best on Marr earlier to be positive about the prospect of François Hollande in the Elysee, echoing the assurances from socialist central that the new French president is not about to rip up the European consensus on tackling debt and deficits. He underlined the Hollande pledge to legislate for a balanced budget by 2017 (though Mr Hollande, it should be pointed out has ruled out changing the constitution). The Chancellor’s argument was that Mr Hollande is stressing growth, but is not giving up on the need for discipline. It was his way of heading off attempts by Labour to capitalise on Mr Hollande’s win. But you just have to look at Twitter to see how the Left is not only cheering Mr Hollande but seeing his win – and his policies – as a victory and an endorsement for Eds Miliband and Balls. For David Cameron, the loss of his friend and a centre-Right ally is bad news for his diplomacy in the EU, but also because it gives the Left in Britain a script to follow about an unpopular government detached from the people by wealth and austerity.

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