Ed Balls: “I hope our result is going to be a lot better than that”

Labour’s shadow chancellor Ed Balls told the BBC: “Even if the exit poll is right, that means the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition majority has gone from 72 to zero – David Cameron’s ability to hang on in Downing Street is on a knife-edge and he will have to reach out to get support from the Ulster unionists.

“If the exit poll is wrong just by 10 seats – and all the information is that there are very close fights between Labour and Conservatives in seats right across the country – then suddenly David Cameron won’t be able to get a majority in the House of Commons and it will fall to Ed Miliband as leader of the Opposition to then put a Queen’s Speech before Parliament.”

Mr Balls added: “I hope our result is going to be a lot better than that. It’s really in question whether David Cameron will be able to hang on as Prime Minister when he has been set back in this way.

“He said success for him was a majority. Even on the exit poll, he’s not going to get that.”