The appointment of Alan Greenspan as a Special Adviser to Gordon Brown is unusual – SpAds are often spotty recently graduated party hacks on the make, and are therefore usually young and inexperienced. Greenspan however is the oldest and most experienced maestro of the money markets around. Greenspan’s word is simply law on Wall Street and in the City.

He is also a disciple of Ayn Rand, the philosopher who is viewed by some as the most radical defender of capitalism of all time. She was certainly uncompromising, viewing collectivism in all its forms as “evil”. So what advice will he be giving to “democratic socialist” Gordon Brown?

Perhaps he will recommend reading a couple of her books like “The Virtue of Selfishness“ and “Capitalism : The Unknown Ideal“. After all, Greenspan wrote three chapters of the latter book. Guido fears Brown will not heed the good advice within…