Charities have given their verdict on last night's election.

The Directory of Social Change (DSC), a charity which supports an independent voluntary sector through campaigning, training and publications, has offered its views about what the hung parliament means for the voluntary sector.

Debra Allcock Tyler, DSC's chief executive, said: "A lack of clear leadership could be a recipe for gridlock and delay. It will make it difficult to re-evaluate or scrap policies which are failing. Money will continue to go for things which are not needed, and not be redirected to things which really are needed, because of a lack of consensus."

"If the situation drags on for a long time - say into the autumn - delays to funding agreements up for review or renewal in 2011 could be even worse than usual. A whole slew of programmes could be left in limbo, with no certainty about whether they would end or continue for another year."

"However, if no single party has a stranglehold on the legislative agenda, there may also be new opportunities to influence. It could offer a chance for voices and ideas which have been excluded from political debate in the past to have an airing - perhaps via smaller members of any coalition government."

While Urban Forum chief executive, Toby Blume, said: "The election result has highlighted how our electoral system is broken and needs to be fixed. It's outrageous that people have been unable to vote. This must never be allowed to happen again. The Mother of all Parliaments is now the laughing stock of all her children!

"We'll need to wait until the dust settles, legal challenges are mounted, negotiations behind closed doors are held until things are resolved. But it's clear that despite disaffection with Labour, voters were not clamouring to lend their support to the Tories.

"It's also clear that the Lb Dem surge has not happened in the way it was envisaged. The public has won this election and is sending a strong message to politicians that it wants real reform of the electoral system.

"All the main parties offer something to the community sector but all have deep flaws in their understanding of how to support communities and community groups to achieve positive social change. Let's hope the politicians heed the will of the voters and give us the change we crave."

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