Who Governs? Forming a coalition or a minority government in the event of a hung Parliament

Authors: Professor Robert Blackburn (Professor of Constitutional Law at King’s College London) and Dr Ruth Fox (Director of the Hansard Society’s Parliament & Government Programme), Oonagh Gay (Chair, Study of Parliament Group), Lucinda Maer (Senior Research Clerk, House of Commons Library).

The Hansard Society and the Study of Parliament Group have published a new pamphlet on hung Parliaments on Thursday March 11. Who Governs? Forming a coalition or a minority government in the event of a hung Parliament examines what will happen in the event of an uncertain general election result this year – with particular focus on the implications for Parliament, but also looking at issues such as financial markets, how long it will take to resolve and the role of the Queen. Key questions include:

• Who wins – the party with the most seats or the most votes?
• What does this mean for formal coalitions or informal agreements with other parties?
  
• What can a ‘caretaker’ Prime Minister do? What can he not do?
  
• What is the role of the Queen?
  
• How long does it all take to get sorted out?
  
• What effect will the financial markets have on the process?
  
• Would the Wright Committee reforms help or hinder the process?
  
• Does a hung Parliament mean weak government?
  
• How will MPs balance Westminster and constituency duties in a hung Parliament?
  
• What effect would a hung Parliament have on the House of Lords and the Salisbury Convention? 

Download the full briefing paper here.

In March 2008 the Hansard Society published No Overall Control? The impact of a 'hung parliament' on British politics, bringing together a series of essays on hung parliaments, examing their impact, the lessons from the UK and abroad, and views from MPs and journalists on the prospect. For more information, click here.