UK Election: May to Form Government With Ireland’s DUP
Live Updates from UK’s Election Results where Theresa May’s Conservative Party may lose parliamentary majority.
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- British Prime Minister Theresa May will form a government supported by a small Northern Irish party
- May met the Queen to seek permission to form a government despite losing majority
- Hung Parliament in the United Kingdom as PM May fails to win outright majority
- Conservative Party holds talks with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party after hung parliament
- Britain may need to ask for delay to Brexit process: JP Morgan
May Begins Finalising Her Cabinet of Ministers
Embattled British Prime Minister Theresa May began finalising her cabinet of ministers and held talks with the Democratic Unionist Party to determine the contours of the party's support for her minority government.
Many of the key cabinet posts have already been declared as unchanged from the previous government, including Philip Hammond as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Amber Rudd as home secretary, Boris Johnson as foreign secretary, David Davis as Brexit secretary and Michael Fallon as the in-charge of the ministry of defence.
May remains in 10 Downing Street with a much diminished power base after her Conservative party fell short of an overall majority in the House of Commons, the lower house of the UK Parliament, as the general election results threw up a hung Parliament.
She reportedly abandoned plans for a major reshuffle of her cabinet to keep her senior Tory party colleagues on her side.
May's Two Closest Advisers Quit After Election Debacle
British Prime Minister Theresa May's two closest advisers, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, resigned on Saturday after taking responsibility for the election debacle for the Conservative Party which failed to get a simple majority.
Timothy, one of two chiefs of staff on whom May relies heavily, said he took responsibility for his role in the Tory manifesto, criticised by many MPs, BBC reported.
Timothy, who has worked with May since she was in the Home Office, hoped MPs would get behind the Prime Minister for the good of Brexit.
"I take responsibility for the content of the whole manifesto, which I continue to believe is an honest and strong programme for government," he said in a post for Conservative Home.
May Loses London Stronghold Kensington
Theresa May's Conservatives lost their west London stronghold of Kensington to the Labour Party by a mere 20 votes, officials said on Friday, in a final electoral blow to the embattled British prime minister.
The result, the last to be announced from yesterday's election, means the Conservatives have won 318 seats – eight short of an overall majority in the 650-seat parliament – and Labour 262.
British PM May Makes No Change to Top Ministerial Team
British Prime Minister Theresa May has made no change to her top ministers including finance minister Philip Hammond and foreign secretary Boris Johnson, her office said on Friday, a day after a national election.
Interior minister Amber Rudd, defence secretary Michael Fallon and Brexit minister David Davis will also remain in their posts, Downing Street said, after the Conservative Party's weak performance in Thursday's national election.
"No further appointments will be made this evening," May's office said.
Before the election there had been widespread speculation in the British media that May would replace Hammond if she won a large majority.
Ireland's DUP to Open Talks With May About Support
A party representing Northern Irish unionists said on Friday it will go into talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May about supporting her Conservative Party which fell short of securing a parliamentary majority in a national election on Thursday.
"The prime minister has spoken with me this morning and we will enter discussions with the Conservatives to explore how it may be possible to bring stability to our nation at this time of great challenge," Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster told reporters.
The DUP – which defends Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom and takes a conservative approach to social issues – increased its number of seats to 10 in Thursday's election.
Foster did not take any questions from reporters at the brief news conference.
May to Form Fragile Government After UK Election Debacle
British Prime Minister Theresa May will form a government supported by a small Northern Irish party after her Conservative Party lost its parliamentary majority in an election debacle days before talks on Britain's EU departure are due to begin.
A stony-faced May, speaking on the doorstep of her official Downing Street residence, said the government would provide certainty and lead Britain in talks with the European Union to secure a successful Brexit deal.
May said she could rely in parliament on the support of her "friends" in Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party after her governing Conservatives failed to emerge as clear winners.
Confident of securing a sweeping victory, May had called the snap election to strengthen her hand in the European Union divorce talks. But in one of the most sensational nights in British electoral history, a resurgent Labour Party denied her an outright win, throwing the country into political turmoil.
EU's Tusk Congratulates May on Reappointment as PM
European Council President Donald Tusk congratulated Theresa May on her reappointment on Friday as British prime minister and urged her to start talks as soon as possible on Britain's exit from the EU to minimise disruption.
"Our shared responsibility and urgent task now is to conduct the negotiations on the UK's withdrawal from the European Union in the best possible spirit, securing the least disruptive outcome for our citizens, businesses and countries after March 2019," said Tusk, who chairs summits of European Union leaders.
"The timeframe set by Article 50 of the Treaty leaves us with no time to lose," he added, referring to a deadline of March 2019 when Britain will no longer be a member of the bloc, whether or not a deal is reached to avoid legal uncertainties.
May Says Will Govern With "Friends" for Successful Brexit Deal
Prime Minister Theresa May said on Friday she would form a new government to provide certainty and lead Britain in talks with the European Union to secure a successful Brexit deal.
On the doorstep of her official Downing Street residence, May said she could rely in parliament on the support of her "friends" in Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party after her governing Conservatives failed to win a majority.
"We will continue to work with our friends and allies in the Democratic Unionist Party in particular," she said.
"Our two parties have enjoyed a strong relationship over many years and this gives me the confidence to believe that we will be able to work together in the interests of the whole United Kingdom."
May Addresses Press After Meeting Queen Elizabeth
British Prime Minister May said she will secure new partnership with the EU that will secure long-term prosperity.
May says she will form a government that will provide certainty.
Theresa May Meets Queen Elizabeth
British Theresa May met Queen Elozabeth at Buckingham Palace.
EU Chief Hopes UK Result Won't Delay Brexit Talks
EU Commission chief Juncker hopes British election result will cause no further delays in Brexit talks.
Leader of Anti-EU UKIP Party Quits After Election Failure
The leader of the anti-EU United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) Paul Nuttall said on Friday he would resign after the party failed to win any lawmakers in the British parliament and saw its vote share fall dramatically.
UKIP, which under its most prominent former leader Nigel Farage helped secure Britain's exit from the European Union, was seen as increasingly irrelevant during the campaign, with many of its voters deserting the party.
"I am standing down today as the leader of UKIP with immediate effect. This will allow the party to have a new leader in place by the conference in September," Nuttall said.
Farage earlier hinted he might return to front-line politics.
Theresa May to Seek Queen's Permission to Form Govt Without Majority
British Prime Minister Theresa May to seek permission from Queen Elizabeth to form a government despite losing majority.
Live Outside Downing Street
Labour Party Won Because it Got Huge Increase in Support: Corbyn
Talks on Britain's exit from the European Union must go ahead, opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Friday, after Prime Minister Theresa May failed to win a majority in parliament in a national election.
May, whose Conservative Party won the most seats, has signalled she will use her right as incumbent to make the first attempt to form a government, but it is unclear whether she will have the necessary support to do so.
Asked whether Brexit negotiations, due to start on June 19, should be delayed, Corbyn told Sky News:
Corbyn said Labour had won the election as it saw an increase in seats and vote share, and the party was ready to lead a minority government.
DUP May Show Support to Conservative Party
Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party is considering lending its support to PM May’s Conservative Party through a “confidence and supply arrangement”, Sky News reported.
That would involve them supporting a Conservative minority government on key votes in parliament but not forming a formal coalition partnership.
Shock Vote Result Hits House Builders
A stunning election upset for Prime Minister Theresa May sent Britain's major share index shooting up on Friday, feeding off a weaker currency, while house builders and mid-caps suffered losses as uncertainty swirled around the UK's leadership ahead of crucial Brexit negotiations.
The FTSE 100 gained 1.1 percent by 0720 GMT after Britons dealt the governing Conservative party a punishing blow, denying May the increased mandate she had gambled on, with no clear winner emerging from Thursday's parliamentary election.
Sterling fell as much as 2.4 percent, providing a boost to the internationally-focused, exporter-heavy blue chip index, but there were heavy losses among some sectors.
Conservative Party Holds Talks With Ireland's DUP
PM May’s Conservative Party members are holding talks with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party after the inconclusive election result.
With 646 out of 650 seats declared, the Conservatives had won 315 seats and are therefore no longer able to reach the 326-mark they would need to command a parliamentary majority. The DUP won 10 seats.
As For the Downing Street Cats
"Labour Will Come Forward to Form Minority Govt"
Britain's opposition Labour Party will put itself forward to lead a minority government after Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives failed to win a majority in a national election, the party's finance spokesman John McDonnell said on Friday.
May was fighting to hold on to her job on Friday as British voters dealt her a punishing blow, denying her the stronger mandate she had sought to conduct Brexit talks and instead weakening her party's grip on power.
May has signalled she will use her right as incumbent to make the first attempt to form a government, but it is unclear whether she will have the necessary support to do so.
Leaders of EU Countries Want Brexit Negotiations Out of the Way
There is no time to lose in negotiating Britain's departure from the European Union, Germany's deputy foreign minister said after a general election left British Prime Minister Theresa May fighting to hold on to her job on Friday.
Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said on Friday Britain should form a new government quickly, as months have already been lost in its divorce talks with the European Union.
"PM May Has No Intention of Resigning"
British Prime Minister Theresa May does not plan to resign after losing her parliamentary majority in a snap election she had called in pursuit of a stronger mandate for Brexit talks, the BBC's political editor said on Friday.
EU Budget Commissioner Unsure on Timely Brexit Negotiations
The European Union's Budget Commissioner Guenther Oettinger on Friday said he was unsure if Britain's negotiations about leaving the bloc could begin on time after Thursday's UK parliamentary election failed to elect a clear winner.
Oettinger told Germany's Deutschlandfunk broadcaster a weak negotiating partner in Britain could result in a poor outcome.
PM May to Speak After Loss
British PM Theresa May to speak at 2:30 (IST) after failing to win a majority in the UK polls.
Hung Parliament
British Prime Minister Theresa May can no longer win an outright majority in parliament.
After the results of 633 seats were declared, May's party was on 308 seats and therefore no longer able to reach the 326 mark it would need to claim a majority in Britain's 650-seat parliament.
UK Home Secretary Narrowly Re-elected in Recount
Britain's home secretary has narrowly avoided defeat in the general election, holding on to her seat in Parliament by 346 votes after a recount.
In the 2015 election, Amber Rudd won the Hastings and Rye seat in southern England by almost 5,000 votes. But the governing Conservative Party has suffered big losses in the election and is on the verge of losing its parliamentary majority.
Several government ministers have lost their seats.
The result will heap pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May to resign, and many consider Rudd a potential Conservative leader.
She is regarded as having performed well during the campaign, which was marred by deadly attacks in Manchester and London. As home secretary, Rudd is in charge of the police and security services and helped lead the response to the attacks.
Read other UK Election stories on The Quint.
Britain May Need to Ask for Delay to Brexit Process: JPMorgan
Britain may have to delay Brexit talks in the absence of a majority for Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party, JPMorgan said.
With no clear winner emerging from the parliamentary election, a wounded May signalled she would fight on, despite being on course to lose her majority in the House of Commons.
"Perhaps the most obvious conclusion is that the likelihood of the UK needing to request a delay in the Brexit process has risen substantially, given the chance that political developments in the UK disturb what is already a time-compressed process," said Malcolm Barr, economist at JPMorgan, in a research note.
PM May Says to Provide Stability if She Wins Most Seats
Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain needed a period of stability and that she would take responsibility for delivering it if she won the most seats.
"At this time, more than anything else this country needs a period of stability," May said after winning her own parliamentary seat.
Jeremy Corbyn Calls for Theresa May to Stand Down
British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said it was time for Prime Minister Theresa May to stand down after election results indicated she had lost votes, support and the confidence of voters.
"If there is a message from tonight's results, it's this: The Prime Minister called this election because she wanted a mandate," Corbyn said. "Well the mandate she's got is lost Conservative seats, lost votes, lost support and lost confidence."
"I would have thought that's enough to go, and make way for a government that will be truly representative of all of the people of this country."
Conservative Lawmakers on PM May's Future
Costumed Candidates Get Moment of Fame
Britain's election night has provided fleeting moments of fame for an array of pranksters, jokers and fringe candidates.
In each constituency, all the candidates get to line up on stage while the results are announced — often on live television.
Prime Minister Theresa May easily won her Maidenhead constituency, but could be about to lose her job if the Conservatives fail to win a majority.
She looked grim as her local victory was announced, even while sharing a stage with a man dressed as the Muppet character Elmo (he got three votes), Howling "Laud" Hope of the Monster Raving Loony Party (119 votes) and Lord Buckethead, a towering figure in black with a pail on his head (a resounding 249 votes).
Ex-Deputy PM Loses Seat
British ex-Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has lost his seat in Parliament, the biggest figure to fall so far in Britain's surprising election.
Clegg led the Liberal Democrat party through five years of coalition government with the Conservatives until 2015.
He lost his Sheffield Hallam seat in northern England to the Labour Party early Friday.
Nigel Farage Fears 2nd EU Referendum if Labour Wins
Former UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage says the anti-EU party has a big role to play in politics if the Conservatives fail to get a strong majority ahead of Brexit talks.
Farage was instrumental in getting Britain to hold a referendum on European Union membership. He stepped down as UKIP leader after last year's victory for the "leave" side.
UKIP's vote has collapsed in the election, with former supporters going to both Labour and the Conservatives. The party looks unlikely to win any seats in the House of Commons.
Farage told ITV he fears the Labour Party could form a coalition government and hold a second referendum on EU membership. He says in that case "the role of UKIP maybe just beginning."
British PM May's Conservatives Don't See Overall Majority: BBC
British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives are no longer expecting an overall majority, the BBC reported on Friday.
"Ministers now saying not expecting to outperform exit poll," BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said on Twitter.
British PM May Faces "Huge Post-Mortem": Ex-finance Minister
British PM Theresa May faces a "huge post-mortem" about her general election campaign and questions about the direction of the Conservative Party, former finance minister George Osborne said on Friday.
Osborne, a cabinet colleague of May's until she ousted him as finance minister, said May would remain as prime minister if she can win a majority – something an exit poll on Thursday showed was doubtful.
"But I think there will be a huge post-mortem about having the general election, about the manifesto... about the style of the campaign," Osborne told ITV.
"And out of all of that, people will start to ask questions... about the future of the direction of the Conservative Party."
Pound Falls
The pound has fallen sharply after exit polls for Britain's election forecast that the Conservatives would not get a majority of the seats in the House of Commons.
The pound lost more than 2 cents against the dollar within seconds of the exit poll result, falling from $1.2955 to $1.2752 late Thursday.
Some investors worry that the lack of a majority for the Conservatives, which are widely expected to top the poll, would weaken the next government's hand in the upcoming negotiations to leave the European Union.
A big majority would provide political certainty for the next five years, giving Prime Minister Theresa May a freer hand in the Brexit negotiations to make the compromises necessary for a deal. She would, the reasoning goes, be able to resist calls from some in her party who are prepared to see Britain leave without any sort of trade deal that would provide business easy and cheap access to the EU single market.
The Quint was Live to discuss the UK Election exit polls.
Former UK Finance Minister Says Exit Poll "Catastrophic" If True
Former British finance minister George Osborne said the exit poll forecasting that Prime Minister Theresa May will lose her majority in parliament would be "completely catastrophic" for her and the Conservative Party.
"It is early days. It's a poll. If the poll is anything like accurate this is completely catastrophic for the Conservatives and for Theresa May," Osborne told ITV News.
"It's difficult to see if these numbers were right how they would put together the coalition to remain in office. But equally it's quite difficult looking at those numbers to see how Labour could put together a coalition so it's on a real knife edge.”
The exit poll has predicted that May will win 314 seats, below the 326 needed to secure a majority.
British PM May Short of Majority, Set to Win 314 Seats: Exit Poll
Prime Minister Theresa May will win 314 seats in Britain's election, short of a majority in the 650-seat parliament, according to an exit poll released shortly after voting ended.
The nationwide exit poll conducted for major broadcasters predicted 266 seats for the opposition Labour Party run by socialist campaigner Jeremy Corbyn, 34 for the Scottish National Party and 14 for the Liberal Democrats.
London's Trafalgar Square Briefly Cordoned Off Over Security Scare
British police briefly evacuated Trafalgar Square in central London on Thursday following reports that a suspicious item had been found in a nearby street, but said the incident was quickly stood down and not considered to be terrorism-related.
Final UK Opinion Poll Shows PM May's Conservatives' Lead Widening
A final opinion poll published on Thursday as Britons vote in a national election showed Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives widening their lead to 8 percentage points from a 5 point lead in its previous survey.
The Ipsos MORI poll published in the London Evening Standard newspaper showed the Conservatives' share of the vote up to 46 percent from 45 percent from their last survey published on June 2, with the main opposition Labour party on 36 percent, down from 40 percent.
Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn Vote
Prime Minister Theresa May and Philip May have voted at a polling station in Sonning, Berkshire.
Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn also cast his vote.
Several other party leaders have also been posing at polling stations.
Britons Queue Up At Polling Stations
Within an hour of polling stations opening for voting, queues were witnessed in parts of London and other places in the country.
Voting Begins
Voting begins as Britain heads to polls on Thursday to elect a new government. Polling stations will stay open from 11:30 am IST to 2:30 am IST as voters choose 650 lawmakers for the House of Commons.
Asian Shares Wobble Before UK Polls
Asian shares wobbled on Thursday as investors braced for any surprises from the UK elections. Shares were also affected by the European Central Bank's policy meeting and congressional testimony from ex-FBI director James Comey who was fired by US President Donald Trump last month.
Opinion Polls Suggest PM May Has Lead Over Corbyn
The last leg of the campaign for the general elections was derailed by the terror attacks in Manchester and on London Bridge.
The security concerns over the terror attacks were expected to make a dent in Prime Minister May's popularity with the voters. However, pre-poll analysts still expect her to register a victory in the polls, albeit without a landslide majority.
May faces the voters on Thursday in an election she called to strengthen her hand in looming Brexit talks, with her personal authority at stake after a campaign that saw her lead in opinion polls contract.
A final flurry of opinion polls gave May's Conservatives a lead ranging between one and 12 percentage points over the main opposition Labour Party, suggesting she would increase her majority, but not win the landslide foreseen when she called the election seven weeks ago.
A Look at Indian-Origin Candidates Fighting it Out in the UK Polls
The 2015 elections in UK witnessed a record number of Indian-origin MPs entering the British cabinet. Keeping up the tandem, there will be a record number of 56 Indian-origin candidates fighting it out in the British snap polls on Thursday.
While the Labour party will be fielding 14 candidates, the Conservatives will field 13, and the Liberal Democrats, touted to be the third player in the upcoming polls, will field 14 candidates.
Here is all the information about the candidates.
Why is There an Election?
Why, oh why? That's the question many Britons asked when Prime Minister Theresa May announced on 18 April that she was calling a snap election, three years early. Voters went to the polls in a 2015 election, and in the June 2016 European Union membership referendum. The last thing many wanted was another divisive campaign.
But for May the time seemed right. She became prime minister through a Conservative Party leadership contest when predecessor David Cameron resigned after the referendum, and an early election would give her the chance to gain a personal mandate from voters. With polls suggesting a big Conservative lead, May looked likely to increase her majority in Parliament and strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations with the EU.
Who are The Contenders?
In the blue corner – traditional colour of the Conservative Party – is Theresa May, a 60-year-old lawmaker known in her party as a quietly effective operator. A former advocate of remaining in the EU, she now promises to press forward with Brexit, taking Britain out of the bloc, reducing immigration and forging a new relationship with the UK's European neighbours.
In the opposition red corner is the Labour Party's Jeremy Corbyn, a 68-year-old socialist who was elected leader by party members two years ago – to the chagrin of many Labour lawmakers, who wanted a more centrist chief.
Among smaller parties, the pro-independence Scottish National Party is seeking to repeat its 2015 near-sweep of seats in Scotland. The staunchly pro-EU Liberal Democrats hope to scoop up voters opposed to leaving the bloc. And the U.K. Independence Party – instrumental in getting Britain to leave the EU – hopes to regain a foothold in Parliament, after losing its sole lawmaker before the election.
What are the Main Issues?
Brexit, which had been expected to dominate the campaign, has played a surprisingly small role. Both Labour and the Conservatives say they will go through with the split, then seek the closest possible relationship with the EU. Neither party has provided many details of how this will be accomplished.
The election's early stages pointed toward the predicted coronation for May and the Conservatives, campaigning under the slogan "strong and stable government."
But it soon became clear that Corbyn's anti-austerity message was resonating with many voters, especially the young. Labour has successfully painted the election as a choice between two visions of society, promising to govern "for the many, not the few."
May's tightly controlled campaign style, which saw her speaking largely to hand-picked groups of supporters, began to grate. And then the party produced an election manifesto that gave ammunition to critics; a proposal to make pensioners pay for more of their long-term care costs was a plan dubbed a "dementia tax" by opponents.
May then made the disastrous move of backing down on the policy, seriously undermining her "strong and stable" mantra.
(With inputs from Reuters and AP)
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