Anybody any idea who's going to form the next government ?...

Latest from William Hill Conservative 1/25 (was1/12) at midday, Labour 9/1 (7/1) and Libs 25/1 (50/1)

presume that is as largest party rather than overall majority

Yes - click on the link in post 78 for other odds.

If the tories get in, then the UK will be going cap in hand to the IMF within the year, to be bailed out.



They will be singing "Bring back Lamont".

(Out of tune of course.)

I liked Lamont because I was running a small business and he had the sense to raise the vat level....he's taken the blame for an unfortunate situation .....

Cable gone scuba diving

its not that fred lives in a flat world, he is just a crazy mixed up kid

i fear it matters not which party gets in in that respect, for there is no doubt that the country's debt is terrifying ...... some of this can be dealt with through (in)direct taxes, curbing public sector spending etc, but the biggest help will be if US and F/E economies continue to recover - i assume i don't need to explain why

no doubt like incoming CEO's the Tories will paint the darkest picture of the economy, and after a few months of their economic management a miracle will occur and the dark clouds will disperse.

i agree the first part but doubt the second

cynic that depends on a number of factors including most importantly the question of further falls in the value of sterling.

falling is a double-edged sword, and it also depends against which currencies
certainly stronger $ will encourage more tourists which can be no bad thing

Halifax,

If the tories get in they will paint the darkest picture and then achieve it without understanding the reasons why.

What I fear, is that if the tories succeed and introduce the swinging cuts, which usually appeals to some tories and tory governments, and then we might have large scaled "social unrest", similar to, but on a lesser intensity than Greece.

This time, if Osborne opens the cupboard, he won't find any gold, or silver to sell to his friends in order to reduce general taxation.

It is possible, that he will go down in history as the chancellor who introduced the highest general taxation in the last sixty years.

The squawking has yet to come.

Fred Osbourne won't find any gold in the "cupboard" as Brown sold it for $200 long ago, as far as civil unrest is concerned there are no doubt plenty of anarchists looking for an excuse to smash a few windows but the police will "take care" of them.

are swinging cuts made with a scythe or are they something more exotic or even titillating?

cynic thats the gibbet from which all failed chancellors should swing!

I'm thinking of a 10 bet on the tories getting in at 1.61......any good that ?...

Depends on if you are a swinger or not. Take your pick.



If you prefer try swingeing!

I always think of swindling cuts when the latter is used.

depends what you mean by "getting in"
for myself, i am far too old to stay up much beyond midnight, but hope to see result from Cheltenham .... this is currently held by LD with tiny majority

Forming a government.