The latest reports from the BBC suggest that Britain will have a new government this evening. Officials from number 10 have confirmed that they recognise that talks between themselves, the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats have failed and that Mr Brown is expected to resign as prime minister later today.
It still remains unclear as to the exact involvement of the Liberal Democrats; is there a coalition between the two or will it be a minority Tory government? Either way David Cameron is expected to be invited by Her Majesty the Queen to form a government this evening.
Talks between the Lib Dems and Tories are continuing into their third hour which would lean to suggest that a coalition will be formed. The deciding point for Clegg was Cameron’s announcement last night that under his government, a referendum on voting reform would take place. This reform could see Britain move from a first past the post system to the alternative vote method.
As much as I don’t like Cameron, I think it’s fair for him to have the keys to downing street. After all, his party received the highest number of votes and the highest number of seats. I think it would have been a political travesty to allow a party that lost 88 of their constituencies, to remain in government with a second unelected prime minister. If the Tories and Lib Dems form a coalition then they will command a majority in the house of commons of 364 seats, well over the 326 needed to win an election. Had there been a Lib-Lab agreement, they would still have need backing from the Welsh and Scottish nationalist parties, along with the Irish unionists and the newly elected Green MP.
Keep watching for any updates.