The UK electorate has instructed that power be shared as none of the political parties has been entrusted with a Parliamentary majority.
At the time of writing various possibilities are on the table.
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg rightly emphasised that the party with the largest Parliamentary group should have the first go at forming a government. In doing so he reiterated the position taken during the electoral campaign. Full marks for consistency.
Immediately Conservative leader David Cameron started the ball rolling to identify the areas and methods in which cooperation between the Tories and the Liberal Democrats could proceed.
There are various areas of positive overlap, including education and , fiscal policy. But there are also various areas of contrast namely the need to reform the electoral system and introduce proportional representation, relations with the European Union, and immigration, to name a few.
In brief the arithmetic for a Tory Liberal coalition is there but I doubt whether the political foundations to justify such a coalition exists.
On the other hand there exists the political justification for a progressive coalition which would include Labour and the Liberal Democrats supported by other small parties. But the numbers are not there, or just.
In the meantime later today the negotiations kick off.
The UK has joined the rest of Europe in exploring coalition government.
As usual Malta will be the last country to catch the bus.
Blog ta' Carmel Cacopardo 
Thanks for the info. A very clear explanation of the situation in the Uk at present, without any prejudice!
Looking forward to more of it.
Grace
Prosit.
Hadtieli minn halqi: “As usual Malta will be the last country to catch the bus.”
Veru Vic, imma “Malta will catch the bus ……. even if late.”
Carm
I envy your optimism Carmel. Because as time moves on I grow more and more pessimistic. So much so that I think Malta has yet to get to the horse and buggy, let alone the bus. This may sound like I’m exaggerating but no matter how hard I try and can’t convince myself otherwise.
Anyways….about the UK.
I cant see a deal between LibDems and Tories. It may work with Labour, but that requires making nationalist concessions to Wales and Scotland which may not go down well with middle England. This well have to be a very broad co-olition grouping taking in Labour plus at least 5 other entities. Difficult.
Well worse scenario is a minortiy Tory Govt which last a few months another general election resulting in a Cons majority.
I think that it is too early to say what form if any, agreement will be reached. The contradictions between policies of Tories and Liberal Democrats are difficult to bridge. And Labour is too discredited for Clegg to form a Lib-Lab coalition government. That is, over and above the difficult parliamentary arithmetic.
Veru…wara li jkunu pixxew tahthom in-nies minhabba l-biza li tigi minn TVM-NET U s-SUPER ONE
LoL
If UK political history is anything to go by, there is a chance that a Conservative/LibDem arrangement will be a weak one. However, the British economic situation is so fragile that Cameron and Clegg should seize the opportunity to put party political differences aside and form a strong stable government. The British electorate have imposed a mandate on them to act in the national interest; I hope they realise they have no other choice.
Having three major parties rather than the usual two is a blessing for an electorate fed up with a stagnant duopoly.