What is it like to have a minority government? We look at how John Major fared the last time no party had a majority of MPs
THERESA MAY has woken up today to the news that her plan to increase her majority in a snap election has spectacularly misfired.
The Tories still have the most seats, but the Prime Minister faces the prospect of running a so-called “minority” government.
This is because the party does not have an overall majority, which requires a party to have 326 seats, and means it needs MPs from other parties to vote with it in order to pass legislation.
Although this is seen as an unstable and chaotic way of running a government, it is not as rare as some may think – despite the first-past-the-post system skewing results towards an outright majority.
The last time a Prime Minister was forced to run the country in this way was John Major in 1996.
Having won the 1992 election with a slim majority of 21 seats it was slowly whittled away as MPs defected or resigned and their seats lost in by-elections.
By December 1996 he did not have the most MPs anymore, but rather than call an election he was able to continue to govern several months.
He relied on the support of depend on the nine members of the Ulster Unionist Party in Northern Ireland to maintain parliamentary control.
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But the pact didn’t last, as Mr Major was ejected from office on the wave of Tony Blair’s New Labour landslide in May 1997.
Other occasions where a minority government was in power was in 1978, after the collapse of the Lab-Lib pact between the Labour party and the Liberals.
James Callaghan clung on as PM until he lost a vote of no confidence by just a single MP vote the following year – and he too was ousted from No10 on the back of a thumping win for Margaret Thatcher.
And it is not even always the party with the most seats that gets to run a minority government – as Labour finished in second place with just 1919 seats – but formed one that lasted for 10 months as they commanded the most respect in the House.
And research by Professor Robert Hazell of University College London’s constitution unit shows only half of the 20 governments in the 20th century, were the traditional-style single-party majority government.
In other countries in Europe, such as Denmark, they are even more common – as their Parliaments use a proportional representation voting system.
Some of the key details from the turbulent election night:
- Hung parliament confirmed with Tories missing out on majority of 326 with by finishing on 318 seats - down from 330
- Labour forecast to take 262 - up from 232 in 2015.
- Theresa May vows to stay on and form a Government with the help of the 10 DUP MPs
- But she faces mounting pressure from within her party – with the odds slashed on Boris Johnson to be the next PM
- Fears grow Brexit negotiations could be sunkor delayed after the shock result
- Lib Dem leader Tim Farron clings on despite only making modest gains
- Ex -Deputy PM Nick Clegg loses Sheffield Hallam seat but Vince Cable regains Twickenham
- Home Secretary Amber Rudd holds on to Hastings seat by barely 300 votes
- Huge losses for SNP as former chief Alex Salmond and deputy leader Angus Robertson are both beaten by the Tories.
- Labour on march in London beating Tories to Battersea constituency but Tory Zac Goldsmith takes back Richmond with a majority of just 45
- Pound slides two per centas exit poll predicts hung parliament
- Ukip voters desert partywith vote share down by ten per cent
- Growing fears that Mrs May will have to call a second election later this year
- Jeremy Corbyn claims he won the election after making significant gainsacross the country
