More questions than answers... / David Cameron celebrating /his win on Friday, but the country and parties face great uncertainty.

PERHAPS it was badly misjudged, but I remember the sense of hope reborn that glowed in the nation as Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in May 1979 after the turbulence and chaos of the years before.

I recall, too, the optimism as the youthful, handsome Tony Blair took the reins of power in Downing Street in May 1997.

Today, after the mess of the General Election, it is hard for anyone other than an SNP or UKIP supporter to detect the merest whiff of hope.

David Cameron remains Prime Minister, but of a Government which has hardly gained a ringing endorsement from the electorate and which, I suspect, will limp along fearful that it will not be able to pass key legislation without concessions to those within and without its ranks whose support it will need.

Labour faces another period of soul-searching, another period of self-examination when it must seek to establish an identity that resonates with enough voters to sweep it to power.

Heaven alone knows what the future has in store for the Liberal Democrats, its support and identity squandered by the vanity and arrogance of Nick Clegg.

And all this the legacy of an election campaign that was among the most negative in living memory - one in which the parties preferred to try to terrify the public about the alleged plans and qualities of their opponents than inspire voters with policies and charisma of their own.

The sad truth is that the country remains deeply and fundamentally divided.

The percentage points between the Conservatives and Labour were small, but enough to ensure the Tories gained far more seats.

In constituencies across England, UKIP candidates gathered substantial number of votes, showing how large sections of the electorate have grown weary and mistrustful of the so-called major stories.

And, of course, north of the border the resounding success of the SNP shows that Scotland has no love of the Westminster elite, the party's landslide of seats calling into question the legitimacy of Parliament over that country's affairs.

Make no mistake: we live in a period of great challenges in which radical and brave decisions need to be made about how this country - or collection of countries - is governed.

But the relatively inconclusive outcome of the election results means that those decisions are unlikely to be made.

Not about how the economy or public services are managed.

Nor, crucially, about the nature of how these islands are managed - whether we need a more federal style of government in which greater powers are devolved to the English regions as well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Expect no sensible addressing of these issues from any of the major parties in the weeks and months and maybe years ahead.

David Cameron will be mindful of threats to his own power from within his party and to threats to Tory power from his opponents in the Commons.

Labour and the Liberal Democrats will be hobbled by internal conflict.

All of the parties will be seeking easy ways to court the voting public in a hope that, next time, the small percentage points that make such a big difference fall in their favour.

Maybe we cynics will be confounded and we can look forward five years of strong, inspiration government in which Britain's rifts will be heeled and deep-seated problems solved.

Then again...

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Publication:	Sunday Mercury (Birmingham, England)
Geographic Code:	4EUUK
Date:	May 10, 2015
Words:	559
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