Dr Jon Davis, leading lecturer in political history at Queen Mary, comments on the hung parliament result of the general election:
"Hung Parliaments are very rare, indeed. I think it is now morally for the Conservatives to attempt the formation of a government as Labour and Gordon Brown have clearly lost.
"What we may now see is a Conservative split over the issue of whether to offer proportional representation to the Liberals. It is clear that a Lib-Lab pact would be far more stable - and this will probably be with a new Labour leader, likely to be David Milliband.
"Whatever the result of a new alignment, the country is now in a very complex position. The smart talk is of a second election within twelve months. The financial markets will not now receive the clear direction they sought and instability will reign. Interesting times."
Dr Jon Davis
Executive Director of the Mile End Group
Lecturer in Political History
Queen Mary, University of London
For media information, contact: