Paul Tucker is the envy of many a central banker right now. Not only is he the leading contender for the top job at the Bank of England when Mervyn King steps down next June but he’s also just been named as chairman of a global governance body for securities clearance.

The three-year appointment as chairman of the Bank for International Settlements' Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems puts Tucker firmly at the centre of the reforms sweeping the financial sector in the wake of the crisis.