Former US vice-president and presidential also-ran Al Gore was in London last week, trying to put behind him another disappointing US election campaign for the Democrats by launching a fund management company.

Gore is chairman of Generation Investment Management, which he is running and part financing with former Goldman Sachs chief executive David Blood. He will act as an adviser on geopolitical issues and admitted, as he handed over his new credentials, that it was the first time he'd had to use a business card in 25 years.