All parties are considering coalition partners for the next general election due to predictions of a close race.
The Conservatives have ruled out forming a coalition with “any other party” as uncertainty surrounds the next general election.
Last week’s municipal elections suggest a close national election between Labour and the Conservatives.
And while Sir Keir Starmer’s team appears most likely to emerge as the largest party, current projections indicate that Labour will fall short of an absolute majority, leaving the door open for coalition building.
When asked about a Labour coalition, Sir Keir rejected the SNP but couldn’t rule out the Liberal Democrats seven times.
Wednesday, after Rishi Sunak accused the opposition of “plotting” coalition pacts, the prime minister’s spokesman refused to rule out coalition pacts for the Conservatives, saying she would not “speculate” on the outcome of the next election.
Labor criticized Mr. Sunak’s decision, with shadow Scotland minister Ian Murray describing it as “a sign of desperation to cling to power” and urging him to “rule out a shady deal with the SNP.”
The Conservatives issued a much stronger statement hours later, stating, “We will not negotiate with any other party.”
In the United Kingdom, hung parliaments – in which no party wins an outright majority at the general election – are uncommon. But when they occur, concessions must be made to bring the lesser party on board.
After five days, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formed a coalition government in 2010.
As deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg received five cabinet positions, fifteen ministerial positions, and an alternate vote referendum.
However, they were forced to accept George Osborne’s austerity measures and abandon their pledge to abolish tuition fees, both of which contributed to the party’s disastrous performance in the 2015 election.
Since 1977, when Labour and the Liberals supported crucial votes, there had been no UK coalition.
After the 2017 special election, the Conservatives lost again. Theresa May only won 317 seats, falling short of the 325 required for a majority.
She signed a “confidence and supply” agreement with the DUP – not a full coalition, but an agreement to support the government on key votes – and gave them £1 billion in additional financing for Northern Ireland’s schools, hospitals, and infrastructure in exchange for their support.
