As a general rule, if the economy fails, then at the next election, so does the government. However, there are exceptions to every rule, but who would have thought that Gordon Brown might be one?
Until last week Gordon Brown’s career was close to collapse and David Cameron’s path to Downing Street seemed clear. But a week is a long time in politics and to quote another cliché it all comes down to events dear boy, events.

During the early 1980s things were similar for Margaret Thatcher. The economy was on the slide and her personal popularity was low; she was seen as cold and unable to connect with the public. She was never a touchy feely PM and was always at her best when she had something or someone to attack. So when Argentina invaded the Falklands, the 'conviction politician' Thatcher had the chance to stand firm and show her mettle. Now Brown, 'the substance politician', finally has something gritty and substantive to get his teeth into. Like the Falklands it’s all about action rather than words and there will be a clear result at the end, good or bad.

Bizarrely, this crisis could win him his first election, but how fair would such a victory be? After all the greed and the excess of the financial sector which caused this crisis, all took place on his watch. Surely the former chancellor should be hurt politically by this. On the other side of the pond the Republicans are being pilloried for their part in the debacle and are suffering the effect of having a president who is so hopelessly out of his depth on economic issues. Over here, it is the Tories that look like startled bunnies as a financial steamroller heads our way. And Gordon & Co. are playing the role of consummate economic managers.

So the PM is finally on a roll and this challenge will determine his fate more than any other. For the business community this poses an awkward question: Do we really want Gordon Brown to succeed and possibly win the next election?