This week's Reader Rant opinion column suggests there may be trouble on the streets once severe economic cuts are announced. Join the debate by adding your comments below.

NOW we have a new government, they face the unenviable task of picking up the pieces of a broken economy, never mind a broken society.

After Lehman Brothers collapsed nearly two years ago, the world has been sliding towards financial meltdown, and events in Greece have illustrated exactly what happens when things reach boiling point.

Whereas the first victims were banks, in this second wave of fiscal chaos, it is countries which are falling.

Scenes of box-carrying bankers leaving work for the last time back in September 2008 have been etched in people’s memories worldwide.

And now in what can be seen as a version of Credit Crunch 2, pictures of thousands of striking workers taking to the ancient streets of Athens will also no doubt find their way into the history books to be studied by future generations.

Economists warn the Greek contagion is spreading through Europe faster than a volcanic ash cloud, with Spain and Portugal said to be the next economies to crumble.

Despite Britain’s decision not to join the Euro being vindicated by events on the continent, by the end of this year its deficit is expected to be worse than Greece's and the highest in the EU.

Throughout electioneering, the three main parties avoided the most important question of all - where exactly are cuts going to be made? And what is the impact going to be on ordinary people?

News Shopper: David Cameron

But although the reality is there will be cuts, has it dawned on the British public how severe these cuts will be, and as a result will we be seeing scenes from Athens replicated on the streets of London in months to come?

The Greek riots came to a climax when a bank was torched killing three people.

The poll tax riots in 1990 and the protests against the war in Iraq are examples of what happens when Britons disagree with their government.

Both events immortalised Thatcher and Blair as figures of hatred for many.

But given the inevitable cuts, now David Cameron has the keys to 10 Downing Street he is going to be hated even more and go down in history as the Prime Minister who slashed public services, raised unemployment and increased the gap between rich and poor.

Resolving the country’s ever-widening deficit will dominate the next government’s agenda, but with a serious risk of producing a Greek tragedy of its own on the streets of Britain.

This column is produced by an independent writer and in no way reflects the official position of News Shopper or its parent company.

What do you think? How severe do you think the government cuts are going to be? Will people protest against the cuts when their full effect is seen? Add your comments below.

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