The biggest dilemma for people coming in is you need experience of the finance sector. To earn big money, you need a sound understanding of finance.

People said for years you need a scandal to get campaign finance reform. This whole election has been a scandal.

I'm open to anything. I think everyone should enjoy every moment that they experience.

I've not been offered anything formal. No money has been discussed, they have just asked whether I would like to stay another year. My wife is still over in Australia so I have got to sit down with her and talk to her about it and see where we go from there.

As financial services companies step up spending on security to meet rising threat levels, IT security skills are now attracting the kind of premiums reminiscent of Java programmers during the dot-com boom.

2006 could be the year when the ghosts of the dot-com era are finally laid to rest and IT pay in the City tops the £54 per hour record set during the height of the boom.