The U.K. will hold one of its most unpredictable elections in decades Thursday, and with no clear winner likely, the stage is set for days of political horse-trading to determine the country’s next leader.
The U.K. has traditionally seen government pass between the two main parties—the Conservatives, currently led by Prime Minister David Cameron, and the Labour Party, led by Ed Miliband.
But the latest polls suggest that neither will win a majority of seats in Parliament—and may need more than one other party to cobble one together.
A debate about which party would have the most legitimate claim to govern has begun even before polling booths opened.
The Conservatives are forecast to win the most seats, and are likely to claim that gives them a mandate to continue to lead the U.K. for the next five years.
But Mr. Miliband could be in a position to argue that he has a bigger mandate, by drawing on the support of like-minded parties. Such a scenario would be legal and has happened before in the U.K.
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Source: wsj.com