Mr McCain has never been particularly interested in economics, but, unlike Mr Obama, he has made little effort to catch up or to bring in good advisers (Doug Holtz-Eakin being the impressive exception).

ECONOMIST: The presidential election

Some firms bring in specialist advisers to plan, test and manage their technology set-ups in the cloud.

ECONOMIST: Corporate computing: Online reputations in the dirt | The

But government advisers warn today that shale gas may be unlikely to bring down energy prices much in Britain.

BBC: Gas fracking: Ministers approve shale gas extraction