Britain's Budding Constitutional Crisis

A constitutional crisis is looming in Britain. Labour is currently leading the count with 31 declared victories, but exit polls indicate that the Tories are likely to emerge as the single biggest party, with at least 307 seats.

A constitutional crisis is looming in Britain. Labour is currently leading the count with 31 declared victories, but exit polls indicate that the Tories are likely to emerge as the single biggest party, with at least 307 seats. That figure, however, is 18 seats short of an overall majority. Convention dictates that the incumbent Prime Minister be given the first right to form a government - and Labour party officials are intensely wooing the Lib Dems -- who are projected to win just under 60 seats -- calling for a coalition of "progressives" to lock the Conservatives out of power.

The Conservative party, however, has sent sharp signals to indicate that should they emerge as the single biggest bloc in the House of Commons, David Cameron will ignore constitutional convention and stake claim to 10 Downing Street. In theory, this will mean driving up to Buckingham Palace and presenting himself to the Queen as leader of the single-largest party in the Commons. In practice, it may place the monarch -- the neutral third-leg of the British parliament -- at the centre of a bitter political crisis. Can Her Majesty ignore convention and ordain Cameron? Or will she, in deference to Gordon Brown's constitutional right to the first stab at forming the government, simply refuse to see Cameron? All we know at present is that the Queen does not wish to see anybody before lunch tomorrow.

The latest declared results (2.30am BST):

Labour: 53

Lib Dem: 5

Conservative: 39

Others: 16