Law expert fears effects of a coalition

Paul Stone, a senior litigation partner with DLA Piper, where Miriam Gonzalez Durantez is the company's head of trade, said the hallmark feature of coalition government was the time it took to achieve consensus. While this could result in high-quality laws, they could also be "watered down to the point of being anodyne," he said.

Mr Stone also highlighted the "perverse results" that could arise from what he described as the disproportionate ability of single-issue parties to influence policy in return for propping up a minority government.

Mr Stone's comments yesterday came only hours before Britain went to the polls in the most uncertain election for years.

He said: "A hallmark feature of a coalition government is the sheer time it can take to achieve consensus.

"From a legal point of view, this often results in laws being passed that are of high quality and well scrutinised, but unfortunately, are often watered down to the point of being anodyne as a result of endless rounds of review and compromise."

Perverse results could arise when the extreme agendas of minority-fringe parties gained a disproportionate ability to influence policy in return for keeping a minority government in power.

"In such a situation the silent majority may well find itself being forced to bend to the will of the hard line minority," added Mr Stone.