Well, I think, Frank, you're right on the simple assertion you're making that when the country's facing very big issues, we just talked about social care, but the one you're highlighting is of course the black hole in the public finances. It is better if politicians, I know it's an unfashionable thing to say, but it's better if politicians try and work together. That's why I proposed several weeks ago, that irrespective of the outcome of the next election, why don't we set up something which I call a council for financial stability, and you'd gather in that council for financial stability the Chancellor and the Shadow Chancellors, the Governor of the Bank of England, the Head of the Financial Services Authority to do one simple thing, which is to come clean with you about how big this black hole is because there's still dispute about exactly how bad it is and then have an agreement on roughly how long it will take to fill it. So that everybody in a sense is being open with you, which hasn't really happened until now, about how bad this situation is and how together we're going to get out of it. I do think there is potential for politicians to work with each other. Don't believe all these ludicrous scare stories about markets and political Armageddon if that is what happens.

Back to Frank's question, in a sense what lurks behind your question is it a bad thing or not if politicians talk to each other? I don't think it is. in many other parts of the bog, it would seem to be a completely standard... I mean, Gordon Brown has talked about various bodies but none involving the different parties. David Cameron says he'll try and make a hung parliament work but spends all his time in the newspapers this week making those ludicrous claims about total meltdown as if the world will end. The world won't end and it will be your choice. If you decide that no-one here deserves an outright majority, then we'll need to be open about it and talk to each other, talk to each other to provide the good government, sound government that you deserve, because you deserve a government where we put your interests first and don't allow everything constantly to be hijacked by short-term political point-scoring.