The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland has taken commentators by surprise by unseating the Northern Irish First Minister in his unionist heartland.

Democracy campaigners are urging the public to refuse to give in to the big two parties, and to vote instead for a 'hung parliament' and radical political and voting reform.

The 2010 General Election campaign has been more volatile and interesting than anyone could have predicted, and the outcome now sits on a knife-edge, says Simon Barrow. But whichever way it goes, there is an opportunity for genuine, ground-up, civic based change. We must not ignore or miss it.