UK General Election 2010: Hung Parliaments - What's The Big Deal?

[mcgillianaire]

1974. That was the last time a British general election resulted in a hung Parliament. For someone who has grown accustomed to such outcomes in India, I find it rather amusing the contempt with which it is viewed over here. It's just not cricket. But is it really that bad? Yes, if history is anything to go by. In the hundred years and twenty-seven general elections that have been held since Jan 1910, only five produced a hung Parliament (Jan 1910, Dec 1910, Dec 1923, May 1929, Feb 1974). Three of these elections were quickly followed by another less than a year later (Dec 1910, Oct 1924 and Oct 1974). However, each of those three elections produced governments that lasted eight, five and five years each respectively. This was especially surprising given that the Liberals fared marginally worse in the Dec 1910 general election, than they did in the Jan 1910 election, yet were able to somehow cling onto power until 1918. And what of May 1929 you ask? That Parliament lasted two years. So, if the British electorate deliver a hung Parliament, expect another election within a year.

Comments

[loganberrybunny.livejournal.com]

Politicians (Labour and Tory ones, that is) may view it with contempt, but I don't; I'd quite like a hung Parliament this time. Partly that's because I want to see electoral reform, but also it's because I don't want to see huge economic decisions rammed through on whipped votes against the public interest, as both parties have done over the last 30 years.

[mcgillianaire.livejournal.com]

I agree with you on both points. Let's see if the debates can swing it in the Lib Dem favour enough to prevent a Tory majority. I read somewhere yesterday that the swing needed to win a majority of even one is more than the swing that brought Thatcher into power. That says it all.