Prime Minister John Key is charming in an "informal and artless" way, says a British journalist.
In a column for the Daily Telegraph, writer Daniel Hannan has paid tribute to Mr Key as head of a right-wing Government that froze spending and remained popular.
In Britain, Hannan wrote, talk of cuts was howled down as an assault on the poor. "In New Zealand, by contrast, 'zero budgets' are seen as prudent and sensible."
Hannan attributed that in part to Kiwis' escape from the inherited inequalities of Britain.
But he saved most praise for Mr Key. "He is the most popular Prime Minister that anyone can remember - and, having now met him, I can see why. He is very clever and, at the same time, utterly charming in the informal and artless way that New Zealanders have."
