““[Brown] also knows that there are two things that really matter. First, there is not one person in this country whose circumstances suffered in any way because there was no early election.
This was no Black Wednesday, after which millions of people really suffered as a result of Tory economic incompetence. In the current volatile political climate, the polls will go up and down regularly, but, when people go to put their cross on the ballot paper, what was essentially a Westminster story will not matter a jot. Not for the first time, the Westminster village will be seen to be completely out of touch with reality.” This may be true but it certainly cannot be said of this current crisis. As 25 million people check their bank accouts this morning, they will—rightly or wrongly—be blaming the government. Anyone who finds their identity compromsied because of this is unlikely to look kindly on Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling.