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' says the answer is hidden in the clue.
'NAT' can be found hidden inside 'consternation'.

(Other definitions for nat that I've seen before include "Supporter of the SNP (abbr)" , "Politician" , "A nationalist" , "King Cole" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app