The Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties have spectacularly withdrawn all candidates from next weeks general election after comments by the Governor of the Bank of England came to light.
Governor Mervyn King had said the "tough" budgetary measures would be necessary in the UK and measures would keep whoever wins the next election "out of power for a whole generation".
In a joint statement the Conservative and Liberal Parties said "We've realised that winning next weeks election is a poisoned challice - we'd rather let Labour take the brunt of the expected public uproar"