What Happens If There is a Hung Parliament in the U.K. Election? -- The Short Answer

Who gets to form a government?

If no single party wins a majority, convention allows the current prime minister a first shot at trying to secure support for either a coalition or working as a minority government by getting other parties to agree to support key policy proposals—even if his party wins fewer seats than the other main party. If the current prime minister is unable to do this, he resigns and the leader of the main opposition party would try and form a government.

How long will it take?

If the election is close, the outcome could take days or even weeks to play out. That’s what happened at the last election in 2010 when a hung parliament led to several days of negotiations. During the negotiations, the then-Labour government remained in place until the prime minister resigned and the coalition government between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats was formed.

Does the incumbent prime minister have to resign?

If the incumbent prime minister is unable to form a government—or loses so badly that it’s clearly impossible to—he would be expected to resign. If he tries to press forward, confidence in the prime minister would be tested when the House of Commons—the lower house—reconvenes and votes on the government’s legislative program, known as the Queen’s speech, which typically takes place in the days or weeks after a general election.

What is the queen’s role?

If the prime minister resigns, the queen has a formal role of appointing his successor to form a government. But in practice, she doesn’t have any discretion because parliament directs the queen based on who can command confidence in the new House of Commons.

Could there be another election?

Yes, in theory. If a majority of politicians in the House of Commons vote against the government in a so-called no-confidence motion, and if no other government can be formed, an election would be called. Another trigger is if two thirds of the Commons votes to hold a general election.