Sir Cover-up will step in as power broker

Civil servants and Palace courtiers will play a key role over the next few days as parties scramble to put together a workable government.

And Sir Jeremy Heywood – nicknamed Sir Cover-up for his part in the suppression of evidence to the iraq War inquiry – will be centre stage.

The powerful Cabinet Secretary will be one of the two main figures advising the Queen on who to call to the Palace if, as expected, neither main party wins an overall majority.

The monarch will also rely on her private secretary, Sir Christopher Geidt, for advice.

She will hope the former Army intelligence Corps officer will act discreetly in Whitehall during the formation of any government to dispel any suspicion she is being dragged into the political process.

Convention dictates that the sitting Prime Minister can stay in Downing Street to try to cobble together a government with other parties – just as Gordon Brown did in 2010.

David Cameron is therefore likely to stay i n Number 10 as caretaker prime minister while negotiations are taking place.

During this time, Sir Jeremy will be crucial in ensuring good government continues during the days of uncertainty. He will offer support to crossparty talks to form any coalitions, and will ensure Mr Cameron and his ministers do no more than act as a caretaker government.

Cabinet rules state that while ministers remain in office and essential business continues, major policy decisions, signing off contentious contracts, and making appointments or long-term commitments should be deferred wherever possible.

it will be down to Sir Jeremy to decide where the line should be drawn. Sir Jeremy was nicknamed Sir Cover-up after preventing the Chilcot inquiry into the iraq War from seeing letters and records of phone calls between former prime minister Tony Blair and George Bush.

Royal sources said the Queen will deliver her Queen’s speech on 27 May even if no party has managed to build a viable government.

Some labour MPs have questioned whether she should appear in Parliament as scheduled on May 27 to set out the government’s legislative programme if the Tories are the largest party but it does not appear they can command a Commons majority.

A vote would happen a few days after and if the contents of the speech were not approved by MPs, the prime minister would have to go.

A royal source said: ‘The Queen has delivered the Queen’s Speech on every occasion of her reign except when she was pregnant. She would expect to do so again on the advice of the Prime Minister.’

Ed Miliband will only get the chance to become Prime Minister i f Mr Cameron voluntarily resigns – after which the Queen will call the labour leader to the palace to ask him to form a government.

Senior labour f i gures say Mr Miliband will urge Mr Cameron to resign today if the Commons arithmetic suggests he does not have the numbers to rule.

it is possible that even if the Tories emerge with most seats, a second coalition with the liberal Democrats would not be enough to outnumber labour plus the SNP.

Mr Cameron has questioned the legitimacy of Mr Miliband entering Number 10 if he comes second.

‘Caretaker government’