Theresa May could end up in charge of a coalition of chaos

The exit poll for BBC, ITV and Sky by Ipsos Mori has predicted the Conservatives will lose 17 seats tonight.

There is the possibility of a hung Parliament.

The magic line to cross in the House of Commons is 326 seats, (half the seats plus one).

In theory, by being able to command this majority, Theresa May can become Prime Minister and attempt to pass her manifesto pledges into law.

When a party does not reach 325 they have to rely on other parties to help them into government and pass laws.

This was the case in 2010 when David Cameron was leader of the Conservatives and won 306 seats. He formed a Coalition with the Liberal Democrats to get a majority, combining their seats to form a single government made up of the two parties.

Theresa May might now need to cobble together enough seats from other parties in the House of Commons to raise her seat count from 315 to 326.

This would come from small 'C' conservative parties in the House of Commons such as the Democratic Unionist Party and the Ulster Unionist Party.

It would mean backroom deals, and instability for the government and the economy in case these parties that are propping up the government pull out of the deal.

The scenario sounds oddly familiar

Wasn't this the threat of a Corbyn victory?

A 'Coalition of Chaos' deal between Labour, and the Liberal Democrats, and the Scottish National Party?

The irony of this has not been lost on commentators online

Former advisor to former Labour Leader Ed Miliband was among those making the point.

In the 2015 election fought by Miliband, he was also attacked by the Conservatives for refusing to rule out a coalition deal with the Scottish National Party in the event of a hung parliament.

More: The exit poll says it could be a hung Parliament and everyone is saying it's a disaster for Theresa May