Tuesday 6 April 2010

There is No Such Thing as a Hung Parliament

I assume 'hung Parliament' was inspired by 'hung jury', referring to a jury unable to reach a verdict because there is neither a majority for conviction, nor a majority for aquittal.

I do not believe the House of Commons would ever be unable to reach a decision because, in the event of a tied vote, the chairman (the Speaker or a deputy) would have a casting vote.

People use the offending phrase to refer to the possibility that there might be no single party with a majority, which is quite another matter. The absence of a single majority would not prevent decisions being made. Coalition governments are possible, and minority governments can survive for quite a while if they are careful. On the other hand even a nominal parliamentary majority does not prevent the government being defeated from time to time.

However, even when a government does not get its own way, that is never the result of a tied vote. Parliament is never 'hung'

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