With regard to the outcome, I tend to share the opinion of the person who said about the Iraq Iran war, “I hope they both lose.” If this post from Gateway Pundit is accurate, nothing will change with regard to the special relationship.

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/05/that-was-quick-obama-already-insulted-pro-american-uk-conservative-cameron-called-him-a-lightweight/

A lot of the commentary on the British election assumes that a party leader who represents a minority of seats becomes Prime Minister by making an arrangement with another party leader who together with him represents a majority of seats.

Things can resolve that way, but they don’t have to, because the thing that makes or keeps someone Prime Minister isn’t a majority. The crucial qualification is having sufficent support in the Commons to enact the legislation the Prime Minister proposes. (If important legislation, particularly legislation involving expenditure of money fails, the PM is out of a job.)

While the Queen will as a matter of course ask a party leader with majority support to form a government after an election, a party leader who has neither a majority (nor even a plurality) might be asked to form a government without any pledge of support from other parties. He or she can continue in office for years if, when it comes time to vote on legislation put forward by the government, enough members of other parties absent themselves or vote to pass the legislation (and if no one in opposition puts forward a motion of non-confidence in the government that passes the House.)

Cameron doesn’t need a committment of support from Clegg to become Prime Minister. Labour will replace their leader, and Brown’s successor may be unwilling to go to the polls for some time, while he or she establishes an image in the public mind and looks for an auspiscious time for an election. Clegg may not soon feel his party can win more seats in a general election than it has now.

The idea that Cameron now has to give Clegg something big to formally secure his support just isn’t right. He has to put forward legislation that the opposition members will tolerate rather than cause a general election.