Jon Corzine, former co-chairman of Goldman Sachs, failed last week to win re-election as governor of New Jersey but that has not stopped other business leaders thinking they would make terrific politicians.

Carly Fiorina, who once headed Hewlett-Packard, plans to run for the US Senate. Ms Fiorina said that government spending was “out of control”. Meg Whitman, the former Ebay chief, wants to be California’s governor.