What seemed like a long shot at the start of Britain’s general election has actually happened: The Conservatives, who expected to expand their majority in Parliament, have lost it instead.

That makes it a hung Parliament. Here is what that means.

What is a hung Parliament?

A hung Parliament occurs when no party has won a majority of the seats in the House of Commons. That means that no party has a clear and outright mandate to form the new government.

Prime Minister Theresa May called for this general election in April — three years early — because she thought her Conservative Party would win handily. It did not.

The Conservatives previously had a majority of 331 seats in the House of Commons. They needed to win at least 326. They are projected to have won no more than 318.