A good election to lose?

The economic challenges facing the coalition government could mean victory was something of a poisoned chalice... and Labour was the ultimate victor, writes Dan Kemp of Saltus

So who were the real winners of the general election? The most obvious answer is the Conservatives, who now occupy the most seats in both the House of Commons and around the Cabinet table. An alternative view is the Liberal Democrats, who despite a disappointing poll result, have managed to secure a place in government for the first time since 1933. While both are plausible suggestions, the real winner may well be the Labour party. This counter-intuitive suggestion reflects challenges facing a coalition that would struggle to deliver a coherent policy agenda in a benign environment ...