This Could Be the Most Interesting U.K. Election Ever

British democracy: It’s a stable, boring affair with brief, polite election campaigns and swift handovers. Or that’s how it used to be. On May 7, all of that could change. Not only is it hard to predict the result, but there could be a number of surprising consequences. Here are seven scenarios that will worry anyone who likes a soothing cup of tea and a quiet life.

The 2010 election result left one obvious combination that would produce a stable government: a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. It took just five days to agree on the details. The markets, reassured by a series of deliberately reassuring statements, took it in their stride. Predictions of May’s result suggest neither Labour nor the Tories will be clearly ahead, each needing at least two partners for a parliamentary majority. But apart from the Liberal Democrats, who face losing half their seats, every smaller party has ruled out a coalition. Instead, they propose selling limited support in exchange for specific demands. Britain faces the prospect of two sets of three- or four-way talks as the Tories and Labour seek a deal to let them form a government. In the meantime, the current administration will stay in office, but unable to get very much legislation through Parliament. The only time limit on negotiations is the next general election — in May 2020.