By Jack Ewing

What both major parties want most for Christmas is to be given a majority by the public. The voters may have other ideas. Hung parliaments have been the outcomes of two of the last three General Elections. With tightening polls, are we on course for another?

Although hung parliaments are never easy situations, in both 2010 and 2017 the Conservatives had a good shot at forming the alliances they eventually did (with the Lib Dems and the DUP). This time the road for power in the event of a hung parliament seems much clearer for Labour.

Dr Ewan Gibbs, a lecturer and political historian from the University of the West of Scotland talked about the possible make up of a Labour administration.

“If the Labour party, the SNP and perhaps the SDLP were to come to some sort of arrangement, that would probably be enough,” he explained.

Dr Gibbs believes a government made up of progressive left and centre left parties would face an onslaught of criticism from the right-wing parties and the press.

“It’s likely that government would face some sort of major offensive from the press and the Conservative Party, especially if Labour isn’t the biggest party. It would face a lot of hostility, it would be presented as an illegitimate government”, he added.

If the Conservatives fall just short of a majority, will the party that want to ‘Get Brexit Done’ compromise and offer a second referendum?

Dr Gibbs is sceptical: “Johnson would be very wary of backing a second EU referendum because the thing that is keeping his coalition together is anti-politics in a lot of senses. To make concessions on that may be seen as a major failure on his part”, he added.

Come Friday we may well end up with another hung parliament, it’s clear that will pose huge challenges for both the major parties.