With a hung parliament increasingly likely - what happens next?

Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, made a plea on Sunday: "If only we could debate the big issues, rather than who's going to get into bed with whom next Friday morning."

But with the opinion polls stubbornly refusing to shift - Tories and Labour remain neck-and-neck on about 34 points - Mr Farage's plea is likely to go unanswered.

With a hung parliament looking increasingly likely, politicians and voters alike are already asking: what happens next?

CONSERVATIVES

If David Cameron emerges as the leader of the biggest party - but short of a Commons majority - he is likely to move swiftly to claim victory and assert his right to remain as prime minister.

Mr Cameron did exactly that in the hung parliament of 2010. The day after polling day, he talked about "the outgoing Labour government" and made a "big, open and comprehensive offer" to the Lib Dems to form a coalition.

The magic number for the Tory leader is 290 seats. With that tally he could just muster a Commons majority (323 seats) in a deal with perhaps 25 Lib Dem MPs and up to nine Ulster MPs.

Some Tory MPs would prefer Mr Cameron to form a minority government in those circumstances propped up by a loose deal with the Lib Dems and Ulstermen; but the Tory leadership might favour the stability of a new Con-Lib coalition.

Any deal with the Lib Dems would have to be approved by Tory MPs, but they might be forced to swallow it if the alternative was to let Ed Miliband into Downing Street.

Anything less than 290 seats and Mr Cameron would be in danger. If he cannot assemble a Commons majority, he would be expected to quit immediately as Tory leader. If he can scrape back into Downing Street, Tory whips are confident he would survive any challenge to his leadership.

One senior Tory said: "In a funny way, it would be easier to get rid of the PM if he had a majority of 150. If it's very close, you would need someone there to keep things together. It's all about whether he can stay in Downing Street."

LABOUR

If Ed Miliband emerges as the leader of the biggest party - but short of a Commons majority - he would immediately assert his right to become prime minister.

With the backing of the Scottish National party - Nicola Sturgeon says she would "lock David Cameron out of Downing Street" - Mr Miliband could run a minority government, with or without the support of the Lib Dems.

If Labour wins 260-270 seats, Mr Miliband could become prime minister having finished second, with the support of perhaps 50 SNP MPs; the Lib Dems and the Democratic Ulster Unionists are also potential partners.

But such a "coalition of the losers" - especially one dependent on SNP support - might struggle for popular consent and could harm Labour in the medium term.

If Mr Miliband does not have enough allies to become prime minister, his chances of remaining Labour leader would be slim, although some friends think he could stay on if a second election in the autumn was likely.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

Nick Clegg has said he would initially hold exclusive coalition talks with whichever party has the strongest Commons mandate - on current forecasts, the Conservatives.

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Mr Clegg has however said he would not back a government that relied on the SNP for "life support", an indication of his scepticism about the stability of a Labour minority administration.

The Lib Dem leader would be expected to resign swiftly if his party does not re-enter government. But if Mr Clegg can remain as deputy prime minister in a coalition government, his allies expect him to keep going.

OTHER PARTIES

The SNP is expected to become the third-biggest party in the House of Commons and has pledged to "lock David Cameron out of Downing Street", implying it will help Ed Miliband get into Number 10.

Labour and the SNP have ruled out a formal coalition and Mr Miliband says there will be "no deal" whatsoever with the nationalists, but the SNP could still wield influence on individual votes.

Meanwhile Nigel Farage's UK Independence party, which may win a handful of seats, has also rejected a coalition, but has suggested it could work with the Tories if Mr Cameron has an immediate EU referendum.

Plaid Cymru and Greens could work with Labour, while the Democratic Unionist party says it could work with Mr Cameron or Mr Miliband, if they offer several billion pounds of extra spending to Northern Ireland.

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