Britain waits: What could possibly go wrong?

Britain is going to the polls today in an election that could decide the direction of the country for a generation – whether we leave the European Union or stay, even adopt a different economic model to the market economy, could be determined by the result, whether it is a Tory majority, or a Labour majority (stranger things have happened), or a hung parliament.

Polling stations opened at 7am in 650 constituencies across the United Kingdom. They will close at 10pm this evening.

Queues were seen outside polling stations this morning. A high turnout is anticipated.

This is the first winter election since 1923, which resulted in a hung parliament. Although Stanley Baldwin’s Conservatives won the most seats, Labour, then led by Ramsay Macdonald, formed a minority government with the support of Herbert Asquith’s Liberals, the first time the Labour party had held power.

The arrangement collapsed after 10 months. In the subsequent election, Baldwin won a landslide.

Tonight, we will be live-blogging the results as they come out from 10pm on Reaction. Look out for the exit poll – it has been a pretty accurate pointer to the last two election results.

The results will start to flow after midnight and between 1am and 6am the fate of the country will be revealed.