UK elections: a hung parliament but 'There'll always be an England'

A hung parliament (the first one in 36 years), and the prospect of a second round of voting, which is still on the cards, may spell instability - not a good thing, especially at a time of crisis. On the other hand, the lack of a clear mandate to either of the big parties, and the far from negligible presence of a third party is by no means necessarily a bad thing: while not a cure, at any rate it's a remedy for Britain's political bipolar disorder (which afflicts many other countries of course).

The latest (13:00 GMT) results from the BBC show an ultra-slim majority for the Conservatives and a pretty fat minority for Labour, neither of which can form a government autonomously. The Lib Dems did worse than they hoped, nevertheless it may very well be their call that'll decide the fate of the country. The good news is that voter turnout was high, according to as yet informal statistics: a healthy sign that the Brits are politically aware and alert.

The last election to result in a hung parliament was in 1974, under Conservative Edward Heath.

Interim results from the UK 2010 election; updated around 13:00 GMT (BBC)

A hung parliament notwithstanding...

'There'll Always Be an England', sings Tiny Tim (source)