09 June, 2017
British Prime Minister Theresa May faced pressure to resign on Friday after losing her parliamentary majority, plunging the country into uncertainty as Brexit talks loom. "They've said they've had enough of austerity politics and not giving young people the chance they deserve in our society", said Mr. Corbyn as he secured a greater majority in his seat of Islington North.
- The monarch would then be likely to invite Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour party, to try to form a government.
The London Times headline read "May's election nightmare", while the Daily Mail's headline was "Gamble That Backfired" with a sub-heading stating "Corbyn surge puts Britain on a knife edge" and another saying "Fears of Brexit chaos".
The Guardian - which came out in support of Labour ahead of Thursday's vote - led with the headline: "Corbyn stuns the Tories" ahead of a picture of the grinning party leader.
Conservative MP for Broxtowe, Anna Soubry, told the BBC May would have to "consider her position" in the wake of the election.
The pound plummeted more than 1.5% against the U.S. dollar and 1% against the euro as the shock figures set the scene for political turmoil at Westminster, disruption to upcoming Brexit negotiations and the possibility of a second election later in the year.
A disorderly Brexit with no deal would spook financial markets, tarnish London's reputation as one of the world's top two financial centres and sow chaos through the economies of Britain and the European Union by dislocating trading relationships.
Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has argued that Scotland, where a majority voted to remain in the European Union previous year, should have the right to hold an independence referendum at the end of the Brexit process.
The U.K. election has resulted in a hung parliament, with no party gaining the minimum number of seats - 326 out of a total 650 - required to form a majority government. "What we need to avoid is any hasty decisions", he said.
There were upsets elsewhere in the UK: In Scotland. the Scottish National Party was on course for significant losses.
The DUP, which took 10 seats, was considering an arrangement which would involve it supporting a Conservative minority government on key votes in parliament but not forming a formal coalition, Sky said.
The Liberal Democrat's failure to significantly capitalize on Brexit is another indication of just how poor the liberal centre has become at judging the mood of the nation. Their former leader, Nick Clegg, who was deputy prime minister from 2010 to 2015, lost his seat. Tim Farron, the current leader, retained his seat with only a narrow majority.
May also assumed that the centrists and moderates who had voted Conservative in 2015 and to "Remain" in Europe in 2016 would have to vote for her because they would have nowhere else to go.
Commentators agreed the results were bad for the prime minister. How will Mrs May proceed when more than half the country did not give her the Brexit endorsement she was seeking when she called a snap election in April?
May experienced a gradual slide during the campaign period, in which a wide gap between the Conservatives and Labour narrowed. The Conservatives are predicted to be the largest party but will fall short of a majority. Numerous problems over the last seven weeks are of her own making.
The former minister told the BBC that the Prime Minister has to "consider her decision" following "a pretty terrible campaign".
