A COALITION administration in Gloucestershire will require 27 councillors in order to hold a majority.
For the Conservatives to keep their place in power they will have to find four councillors to join their ranks to reach the magic number.
Meanwhile, a Liberal Democrat/Labour alliance, last seen in an administration eight years ago in Gloucestershire, would still need to find four more councillors to reach 27.
It means the power to avoid having a minority administration is likely to lie with a handful of UKIP, Green, PAB and independent councillors.
A minority administration would make it more difficult to make decisions while a coalition will be fraught with difficulties when it comes to concessions. Either way you look at it the next four years will be tricky for those in power.