He added that he was confident the US and Israel could chart a common path on the issue.

BBC: Israel's Netanyahu urges 'red line' over nuclear Iran

The environment minister said the report was a constructive attempt to chart a path forward on the issue and noted its emphasis on an executive strategy and on what individual departments could do.

BBC: Inquiry into climate change

GOP's advantage has not disappeared, but it is half what it was in September and only a third as large as it was in 2003, when Republicans led Democrats by 51% to 36% on this issue (see chart).

ECONOMIST: The politics of national security

That is why credit markets have not reflected the optimism of stocks and are forcing corporations to pay punitive yields on the bonds they issue (see chart).

ECONOMIST: The economy

The following month's issue of the Bank's Inflation Report included a box on fan-chart methodology not stooping actually to mention Mr Wallis (one of Britain's top econometricians, by the way) but sort of responding to his points.

ECONOMIST: A la mode | The