Keir Starmer might reject the idea now, but a hung parliament is a likely outcome, and he should come prepared
Britain’s next government will be some kind of coalition. That can be said with confidence, not because the outcome of the next general election is predictable, but because all governments, even those consisting of one party, are some kind of coalition.
Boris Johnson’s administration consists of the traditional Conservative party, with both liberal and authoritarian tendencies, fused to a newer radical nationalist movement that, confusingly, uses the same name and has the same leader. An alliance that came together for the pursuit of Brexit is struggling to cohere around any subsequent governing purpose. Its electoral base straddles economic, geographical and social fault lines. Tory MPs make conflicting and incompatible demands of the prime minister.
Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist
