Why ‘hung’ parliaments and coalitions are normal in western Europe

The British media, and Tory and Labour politicians, often treat a parliament with no overall majority for one party as something unusual or disastrous, a position taken to new extremes in a recent Conservative party election broadcast, or the Daily Mail front-page cartoon showing Britannia sleep-walking over a cliff face. Paul Mitchell of LSE’s Government Department looks more coolly at the coalition possibilities that may come into play once the results are known.