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British voters went to the polls yesterday to vote in a general election that was the tightest race in recent history. The latest reports suggest that Conservatives won 305 seats, compared to the ruling Labour Party’s 255, out of a total of 650 seats in Parliament. Since no party won an outright majority, the elections have resulted in what is called a “hung parliament” for the first time since 1974. Britain’s first televised debates between the three major parties helped to greatly boost the popularity of the third party, the Liberal Democrats. That party’s leader, 43 year old Nick Clegg, trumped the Labour Party’s Gordon Brown, and the Conservatives’ David Cameron in the debates. But the Liberal Democratic Party had a poorer showing in the election than expected. However, they were courted immediately by Tory leader David Cameron to join the Conservatives in a coalition. The Liberal Democrats have called for a major reform of Britain’s electoral system, a change they may win with the leverage they now have. The Green Party of the UK claimed victory winning their first ever seat in Parliament. Meanwhile, reports of voting irregularities in many districts have prompted investigations and calls for legal action.

GUEST: Pat Devine, is an honorary research fellow in social science at the University of Manchester. His books include “Democracy and Economic Planning: The Political Economy of a Self-Governing Society,” and, “Feel Bad Britain: How to Make It Better.”