PM's Hairdresser Says MBE Was For Charity Work

The Prime Minister's hairdresser has insisted he was awarded an MBE for his charity work, after claims he had benefitted from cronyism.

Lino Carbosiero, who is based at the Daniel Galvin salon in central London, was give the gong for services to hairdressing in the New Year's honour's list.

When asked why he thought he had been recognised, he told Sky News: "I'd like to think it's down to a lot of the charity work that I do and also I'm striving to push state registration in hairdressing throughout the country.

"I want to get to the young kid who's in a small salon. It's not the salon owners fault because they might be a one-man band where they don’t have the time to educate their assistants, but I want to make sure all youngsters get the fair training that they deserve."

Mr Carbosiero, whose clients include Kylie Minogue, Sir Paul McCartney and Dustin Hoffman, also admitted to Sky News that changing the PM's parting from right to left was a "complete mistake".

He said he found the amount of attention given to Mr Cameron's hair "quite funny".

When the parting was changed in 2007, it led to claims he was trying to look tougher or cover up a receding hairline.

Mr Carbosiero, who has cut Mr Cameron's hair since he was Leader of the Opposition, said: "Any of my clients will back me up on this, I never remember where the parting is and I probably, when I cut his hair at the time, just cut it to the way I thought it went.

"We didn't notice and it went from there. It was a complete mistake, I never remember people's partings. I guess and I always get it wrong."

When asked about Mr Cameron's bald spot, which was spotted by parliamentary sketchwriters in the House of Commons, he replied: "What bald spot?"

Last week it was revealed that former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had 118 hair appointments in one year when she was in Downing Street, and Mr Carbosiero said image was important for politicians.

He said: "Someone told me today about Margaret Thatcher's hair and I'd want whoever represents our country to look smart and presentable and not to look like they don't care. I think it's a massive reflection on people…they represent our country at the highest level."