Could we face another election soon?

THERESA May's lack of an overall majority in the Commons inevitably sparks speculation about another election before too long.

Could we be heading for another vote?

For Scots, the general election was the seventh vote in three years.

But governments with no majority find it hard to govern and often try to secure one as soon as possible.

When Harold Wilson became Labour prime minister for the first time in 1964, his majority was just five. But 18 months later another election gave him a margin of 96.

The February 1974 election produced a hung parliament, Wilson became prime minister again and went to the polls again in October, but only got a majority of three. A pact between Labour and the Liberals kept the government going for the next five years, but it wasn’t easy.

When the 2010 general election also resulted in a hung parliament, David Cameron opted for a full coalition with the Lib Dems rather than go for a lesser arrangement or call a fresh election.

The coalition even passed the Fixed Term Parliaments Act to curb the temptation for prime ministers to plump for early elections.

But if Mrs May’s deal with the DUP falls apart, another election should not be ruled out.