Revealed: the strategic cuts behind Cameron's swing from right to left

A Tory Prime Minister's bold shift to the left was never going to go un-noticed. But surprisingly, this one went down rather well with his party.

For amid all the talk of cuts strategies at the recent Conservative conference, David Cameron's hair – with parting switched to the left, slicker at the sides, and a little height on top – was met with approving whispers.

And now the man behind the new 'do can be revealed as Lino Carbosiero, hairdresser to Madonna, Amanda Holden and the Osbourne household (that's right, it's with a "u" – Ozzy and Sharon, not George and Frances).

The celebrity hairdresser won "Head of the Year" in 2003 for his work with Phillip Schofield – in the days before the gameshow presenter turned a terrifying shade of fluorescent silver – and looks after the combined heads of Ant and Dec too. Other high-profile appointments include a slot on The X Factor, where Carbosiero used to work as "style director", so he is used to dealing with winners who are not technically voted for by the public.

The Prime Minister received his recommendation from his wife, Samantha, of whose locks Carbosiero is also custodian.

Based at the prestigious Daniel Galvin salon in London's Marylebone, where gentlemen's cuts cost over £70, Carbosiero rose to prominence in the Eighties, when he owned a salon in the capital and frequently styled musicians in the Stock, Aitken and Waterman stable – namely Kylie Minogue and her co-star Jason Donovan, whose tresses (now sadly depleted) he still tames.

Carbosiero's own signature look around the salon is to wear one blue glove – the reason being that he is allergic to some of the chemicals, rather than some sort of Michael Jackson-like statement.

Mr Cameron's new appearance is not the first time his tonsorial style has attracted attention. When he appeared at Prime Minister's Questions with a ruffled style, a spokesman described it as a homage to the Labour Party, "a split down the middle". Celebrity hairdresser Lee Stafford told journalists at the time that it looked "like he's lost his comb and just got out of bed".

But under Carbosiero's careful direction, Mr Cameron has found a Third Way – a slickly updated pompadour, reminiscent of Herbert Asquith in its formidable crest, and Bella Lugosi in the way it coyly skirts his widow's peak. Carbosiero was not available for comment but, according to experts, the look is unlikely to be achieved without the use of a styling product, and potentially even a blow-dry.

"A day without Lino is like good food without wine," Amanda Holden says. "He surely is the Godfather of hairdressing." It is not yet known whether the Prime Minister will be making daily use of Carbosiero's services.