LONDON: British Prime Minister David Cameron appears to face two thankless alternatives after Thursday's general election -- losing his job aged 48, or leading a fractious government until he steps down.
Cameron's Conservatives have been virtually tied in opinion polls with Labour for months, confounding the party's expectations of a late boost in numbers.
Defeat would be a rare failure for a man whose privileged background has led to accusations from critics that he cannot identify with most Britons.
If the tennis and karaoke-loving prime minister does retain power, his next five years in office could be even harder than his last, which were dogged by controversy over austerity cuts to public services.
Bowing to the demands of his party, Cameron has promised a referendum on leaving the EU by 2017 if he wins but would face a struggle to renegotiate Britain's relationship with Brussels beforehand.
To top it off, he has also promised to step down as leader before the next election in 2020 and identified possible successors including London Mayor Boris Johnson, which could spark a leadership race.
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