A hung parliament is probably just about the worst result for businesses. Although the Conservative Party's deregulatory instincts appeal to many entrepreneurs, we've actually done all right under the 'business friendly' Labour government.

What we need from whichever party governs us is a successful economy in which people are spending money and on the move. A tentative government relying on other parties' support will find it difficult to deliver the strong measures needed to restore prosperity.

So where did it go wrong for the Conservatives and the Lib Dems who both seemed to be romping away at various times? My own experience as a retailer is that when times get hard or worrying, people turn to products that comfort them.

Nostalgia, simplicity and quality are the key features. For example, we have been selling lots of hand crafted items like Cornish fused glass and old fashioned hats from Wiltshire.

Applying this to politics, I wonder if too many voters were concerned about the youthful inexperience of Cameron and Clegg and in the final analysis found something comforting in Brown's stolid substance over image. Perhaps, in these troubled times, the Lib Dems would have prospered more under Vince Cable and the Tories done better with Kenneth Clark at the helm.