Apocalypse Averted?

The government's attempts to shore up our teetering banking system appear to have worked; it was seat of the pants stuff, but the financial markets have reacted positively and the crisis appears to be over - for now at least.
More than a few commentators have noted that Gordon Brown looked like a man transformed while he was tackling the crisis, and while Brown and Darling haven't quite become the new Chuckle Brothers it's true that both men appeared to relish the challenge of saving the banking system. His status - maybe that should be 'stock'! - has risen as a result, and the present economic challenges have certainly put an end to any ideas of a leadership challenge.
With usual political hostilities put on hold, there's been an added bonus for the Prime Minister, who has been able to show a leadership that has not been apparent over the recent troubled months. It's a bit like when the safety car is brought out during a Grand Prix - there you are, lagging miles behind a distant runaway leader, when suddenly there's an accident - the safety car comes out and the whole field closes up again. Normal hostilities will resume in due course, obviously, and the government will face criticism over it's failure to regulate the worst excesses of our greedy bankers, but Gordon's at least back in the race and the predicted Tory landslide at the next election now seems rather less certain. Glenrothes may show us just how the public has responded to the new Brown.