"Well-dressed but pragmatic" - MP John Healey

He knows a bargain when he sees one, too, it seems.

And, if he becomes the defence secretary in a Labour government this year, he will need to apply the same “cut your coat according to your cloth” philosophy to his £50 billion-plus ministerial budget.

In the meantime, a throwaway line in the Guardian newspaper has shed some light on his sensible yet chic shopping habits.

The insight into Mr Healey’s fashion sense came at the end of an article ostensibly on politics.

The piece read: “In response to the Guardian photographer’s praise of the fit of his suit, Healey discloses that he is an ‘M&S man’, attracted by the advantage of buying two pairs of trousers for a jacket.

“Pragmatic, with an eye for the bottom line.

“After years of political tumult and showmanship, it might well be what the country wants in a defence secretary.”

High praise indeed for the 64-year-old Labour MP for Wentworth and Dearne, from the left-leaning publication.

And in these financially challenging times, that might lead to comparisons over other politicians who aren’t shy at splashing out considerably more on their apparel.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, for instance, can certainly afford the best threads.

The Sunday Times Rich List said he and his wife Akshata Murty – the daughter of an Indian tech billionaire – are worth £730m and Rishi is said to be a close follower of fashion trends in the US in general and California in particular.

In the past, the impeccable Mr Sunak has been seen sporting a bespoke £3,500 Henry Herbert suit (a shirt from that prestige tailors can cost you something in the £125 range.)

There were admiring glances too for a £795 brown Reiss shearling jacket he was modelling.

On another occasion, Fleet Street drew attention to his £335 pair of Common Projects trainers and alter his £490 Prada shoes worn during a visit to a building site in hard-pressed Teesside.

In the turbulent world of politics over the last few years, the Conservatives certainly have tried to look cool and modern.

A decade ago, Vanity Fair named David Cameron as the world’s No. 1 best-dressed leader in his Savile Row tailored suits

That didn’t exactly chime with Jeremy Corbyn, the one-time Labour Party leader who was voted the worst-dressed public figure by Harvey Nichols.

But that’s all in the past for Mr Healey - he plans an election victory this year...in style.