Smart, smooth, calm in a crisis What can the world expect from Canada's new PM?

Smart, smooth, tough and a liberal globalist to the ends of his fingertips. That was how Mark Carney came across in his near seven-year stint as governor of the Bank of England.

- Larry Elliott

Smart, smooth, tough and a liberal globalist to the ends of his fingertips. That was how Mark Carney came across in his near seven-year stint as governor of the Bank of England. Judging by how he ran the Old Lady of Threadneedle Street, Donald Trump should not expect too much flattery from Canada's new PM. Quite the opposite, in fact.

From the moment he took over as governor from Mervyn King in 2013, it was clear Carney considered himself to be the smartest man in the room and wanted to make sure everybody knew it. He was not a man to suffer fools gladly, so the scene is set for a mighty clash of egos when prime minister meets president.

Carney arrived in the UK with a reputation as the rock star central banker and was quite the contrast with his predecessor. Where previous governors had avoided the limelight, Carney quickly became something of a celebrity. That was not really for what he did but for how he looked.

The fashion pages analysed the man bag he turned up with at his first big speech at Nottingham University. He was photographed at a music festival. He seemed cosmopolitan and glamorous: the George Clooney lookalike who could wax lyrical not just about quantitative easing but about which indie bands he listened to.