He's always in consternation (3)
I believe the answer is:
nat
'he's' is the definition.
'always in consternation' is the wordplay.
'always in' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'NAT' is hidden in the letters of 'consternation'.
(Other definitions for nat that I've seen before include "Supporter of the SNP (abbr)" , "Politician" , "A nationalist" , "King Cole" .)