The Tectonic Plates have shifted.

No I am not talking about the volcanic eruption which has caused chaos to business and holiday travellers as well as to air importers and exporters. I am talking about last week’s political leaders’ debate.

What was billed as a bit of media froth which would appeal to the Westminster bubble turned out to be viewed by more than 9Million viewers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk5HvJmy_yg

Nick Clegg’s polished performance put David Cameron’s otherwise competent performance into the shade. This was never going to be Brown’s strong card and his strategy must have been damage limitation. However, a quirk of fate of the first past the post system could yield some odd results. Gordon Brown could potentially remain as PM despite coming third.

http://www.ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/

The result is potentially a seismic shift at the forthcoming election by Clegg achieving a dominant strategy. If current opinion polls hold up he could be in a position to force a game change in politics. His prize will be proportional representation based on single transferable vote or alternative vote system. With Westminster still reeling from the expenses scandal which was rife across all party colours, any party may get into bed with the Lib Dems to secure power. This will mean that future lib dem MPs will no longer be fringe players.

As an academic and consultant, I run a game theory exercise with my MBA students as well as with Company Executives and Senior Managers exploring strategic alliances, trust and ethics. My exercise uses 3 groups instead of 2 groups. Most game theory exercises only use two and students and alumni will remember the “prisoners’ dilemma”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prisoner

If you would like to know more, please contact me.

There are two more rounds of this political game to run and where it will end nobody knows. Still it has energised a hitherto dull election campaign. So it’s now Game On!