Open and shut book for shy Redwood

There had, apparently, been a genuine punter in the Victoria Street branch of Books, Etc, just before John Redwood arrived to sign copies of his new tome. But he or she had taken fright on encountering the gathering hordes of press and left.

The former Secretary of State for Wales was left forlornly signing a huge pile of paperbacks of Our Currency, Our Country while the hacks fired questions at him in the hope of catching a hint of dissent.

Was this the opening shot in a Tory leadership campaign? Why had Mr Redwood first cancelled the official launch of his book and then staged a hastily arranged signing? Had he been strong-armed by the Prime Minister? Had his talks with the whips been enjoyable? Was his anti-European stance splitting his party?

But Mr Redwood steadfastly toed the line. "I am singing from a very similar hymn sheet to the Chancellor," he said. "The Cabinet is absolutely right to say `no' to a fudged single currency. This book says there is very unlikely to be anything but a fudged single currency on offer."