The votes are in and Britain is faced with its first hung parliament since 1974. We’re moving into more or less unchartered territory and there is considerable uncertainty about what lies ahead; there are just so many unknowns and we simply don’t know what kind of hung Parliament we are going to end up with.

Of course there is the constitutional convention that dictates that whoever is sitting prime minister should form the next government but whilst that’s technically true, there is a big question over whether that is a credible option when the sitting prime minister and his party have lost so much support and another party has won considerably more votes and seats. It would be technically correct for the prime minister to do that, but how politically credible or morally defensible it would be is another question entirely.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, who couldn’t conceal his disappointment over his party’s poor showing, has already come out to say that the party with the most votes and seats should have the first opportunity to form a Government. If this becomes the case, we just don’t know who Conservative leader David Cameron will turn to. Obviously there are the Unionists in Northern Ireland but that wouldn’t be enough to give him a working majority so he will have to look more broadly.

If he makes a coalition with the Lib Dems he would have to make a major concession on electoral reform and there would be huge constitutional change. Some Christians who view our current electoral system as immoral will be delighted with the prospect of change, while other Christians will want to defend the first past the post system on the basis that it provides checks and balances on power and provides for a strong government where we don’t end up with deals being made in closed rooms and the electorate getting something quite different from what they voted for.

If constitutional convention wins the day and defeated Labour leader Gordon Brown does decide to go ahead and form a government, and the Lib Dems are persuaded to join him even though he hasn’t won the most votes, then there will most likely be change to Britain’s electoral system.
If David Cameron forms the next government, he may well look to form a coalition that doesn’t involve the Lib Dems at all. Although the Labour Party has recently come round to the idea of a coalition with the Conservatives, the Conservatives still have their reservations and may instead look to the smaller parties to form a coalition that would have to involve more than the Unionists.

We could be in a situation where we have another General Election not long from now to try and get a clearer result, as happened in 1974 when the General Election in February was followed up with another in October of that year and the party that had won the most votes in the first General Election was able to secure a working majority.

But it is possible for a good coalition government to work. In the context of devolution, there is a coalition government in Wales and Northern Ireland and in Scotland there was a coalition government from 1999 to 2007. There are also other countries in the world that always have a coalition government and never one single party forming the government.

If ever there was a time to pray for our leaders this is it and there are a few things that the Bible explicitly instructs Christians to pray for. 1 Timothy 2 tells us to pray for those in government and at this present time, today of all days, we should particularly be praying for government as ultimately decisions are going to be made in the coming days and weeks not by the electorate but by Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg, as they interpret convention and the clash between what is conventionally acceptable on the one hand and what is politically credible and morally right on the other.

We need to really pray that God would intervene and call into being a government that is best for Britain. 1 Timothy 2 tells us that to pray for those in authority that we might have godliness and so that people can come to a knowledge of the truth.

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth,” it reads in verses 1 to 4.

If there is good government, then it creates a framework that promotes righteousness and enables people to live in godliness and holiness. And, importantly, it creates a framework within which the church can get on and do its job. That is, that it can get on with preaching the Gospel and people, as a consequence of that, can come to a knowledge of the truth and become Christians.

It is for these reasons that we must pray now. If we have a good government that restrains evil and gives space to the church to do its job, then people are more likely to come to a knowledge of the truth.

We can think of situations where Christians live in the context of persecution and in God’s grace he allows the church to flourish. But we have to say that that is not the ideal as laid down in 1 Timothy 2 and we should pray at this time for the best possible outcome for Britain and for the church. That’s the real challenge for us.


Dan Boucher is director of parliamentary affairs for CARE