LONDON — There has not been a coalition government in Britain since World War II, but people may have to get used to them. The May 6 election left both major parties — the Conservatives and Labour — short of a majority, and put history's also-rans, the Liberal Democratic Party, in the position of kingmaker. It has used that position very cleverly, and Britain may be heading for a major constitutional change.

Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democratic leader, used the five days of hectic negotiations after the election to extract a high price from the Conservative Party for agreeing to enter a coalition with them. Policy differences on taxes or educational policy could be finessed fairly easily, but Clegg's bottom line was electoral reform. That used to be a Conservative red line — but in the end they crossed it.

Who cares about electoral reform? Well, the Liberal Democrats care passionately about it. It's the only way that they can ever fight their way back into the center ring of politics.