U.K. Risks 1974 Redux as Splintered Votes Hurt Stability

The outcome of the next general election risks leaving Britain looking more like it did in the early 1970s than it does today.

As Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives meet for their last convention before the May 7 election, pollsters are forecasting no clear majority for either main party. That raises the prospect of a so-called hung parliament, a deadlock last seen in 1974 that led to an unstable government reliant on opposition votes to pass laws and a ultimately second election.