In the big book of political blunders, Theresa May’s decision to hold a snap election to solidify her Brexit mandate will rank among the most memorable and the most unnecessary. The British PM was cruising along two months ago with a solid majority in Parliament and several years to run on her party’s mandate. There was no need for her to put her position on the line, and she had said earlier that an election was not needed.
But her party’s huge lead in the opinion polls 20% in most cases made the prospect too tempting to pass up. So she flung the dice and lost.
After Thursday’s vote, Ms. May’s Conservative Party still has the largest number of MPs, but lacks a majority. It may well be able to form a minority government with the help of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party, but her ability to cling to the keys of Number 10 Downing Street is very much in doubt, and her stated goal of unifying the country behind her ahead of the upcoming Brexit negotiations with E.U. leaders is utterly out of reach.
Our correspondent Vidya Ram is giving updates from London
Here are the updates:
May retains senior Cabinet members
British Prime Minister Theresa Ms. May confirms she would keep her senior Ministers in the same posts. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, whose future was subject of speculation before the vote, will stay in place along with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Brexit Minister David Davis, Defence Minister Michael Fallon and Interior Minister Amber Rudd, Downing Street says. - AFP
‘No appetite among Tories to oust May’
Conservative MPs have no appetite to oust Ms. May after her failure to win the party a majority or to hold a fresh election soon, a senior party member says. Graham Brady, a lawmaker who chairs a committee which oversees leadership challenges, says Ms. May's campaign performance had flaws, but the party wanted continuity. “I think what I'm hearing mostly from colleagues is that there is no appetite for plunging the government and country into a period of turmoil, that we really do want to try to offer some continuity,” Mr. Brady tells the BBC in an interview.
“I don't think there is any great appetite either for a leadership contest or, the public will be relieved to hear, for a general election,” he adds. - Reuters
‘No time to lose’, E.U. warns May
The European Union urges Ms. May to start Brexit talks as quickly as possible but warns of complications ahead after she lost her majority.
As Ms. May promises to stick to the timetable for starting negotiations in 10 days’ time, the E.U. says time was running out to secure a deal before Britain formally leaves in March 2019.
European Council President Donald Tusk says the “urgent task” was to conduct talks “in the best possible spirit” and minimise disruption for citizens and businesses.
"The timeframe set by Article 50 of the Treaty leaves us with no time to lose," Mr. Tusk, who acts on behalf of the EU's 28 national leaders, says in a congratulatory letter to Ms. May, referring to the divorce clause in the E.U.’s Lisbon Treaty - AFP
Will stick to timetable for starting Brexit talks in 10 days, says May
Ms. May said on Friday she planned to stick to the timetable for starting Brexit negotiations in 10 days, with a new government that would lead Britain out of the EU.
“I have just been to see Her Majesty the Queen and I will now form a government — a government that can provide certainty and lead Britain forward at this critical time for our country,” she said,speaking outside her official residence in Downing Street after meeting Queen Elizabeth II to seek permission to form a new government despite losing her majority.
"We will fulfil the promise of Brexit," she said.
Labour 'gain Kensington': reports
Labour is reported to have taken Kensington, the last seat to declare, after several recounts, says TheGuardian , citing reports. It means the final tally has the Conservatives on 318 seats and the Labour on 262 seats.
Pound plunges to its weakest level
Britain's pound plunged to its weakest level in seven weeks on Friday after the Conservative Party lost its parliamentary majority in the elections, potentially disrupting Brexit negotiations.
Just 10 days before the start of negotiations on Britain's divorce from the European Union, no single party won a clear claim to power in Thursday's snap vote.
The result - flagged by some analysts as the worst possible election outcome due to uncertainty - saw the pound fall as much as 2.5 percent to $1.2636 in early European trade. That was its lowest level since May called the election on April 18.
'Hard Brexit' must be abandoned: Nicola Sturgeon
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Friday said Britain must stay in the European single market as it leaves the EU, following the general election. "The reckless Tory pursuit of a 'hard Brexit' must now be abandoned," the Scottish National Party leader said at a press conference.
Too soon for talks: DUP
The Conservative Party's best prospect for forming a government appears to be an arrangement with the DUP, which has won 10 seats.
DUP leader Arlene Foster told media that contacts would be made over the weekend, but “I think it is too soon to talk about what we’re going to do.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May (C) arrives with her husband Philip (R) at the count centre in Maidenhead.
EU's warning
The European Union (EU) has warned that Brexit negotiations, due to start later this month, could be held up after Britain's election ended in a hung parliament.
Brussels had set June 19 as the start date for talks, but a series of key figures said that was now in doubt after the election results.
EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier indicated that the remaining 27 members were prepared to be flexible on when the process begins.
2.30 pm: Theresa May believes she can form a government and will go to Buckingham Palace at 11.30 GMT to ask Queen Elizabeth for permission to do so, the BBC's political editor reported on Friday.
With no clear winner emerging from Thursday's election, a wounded May has signalled she would fight on. Support from Northern Ireland's DUP could allow the Conservatives to reach the 326 seats needed for a majority in parliament. The BBC said there was an understanding Ms. May would have the DUP's support.
12:40 pm:
The Labour Party, which emerged second in the election, has said it will try to form a minority government.
“We'll put ourselves forward to serve the country and form a minority government and the reason for that is I don't think the Conservative Party is stable, I don't think the prime minister is stable. I don't want to be derogatory but I think she is a lame duck prime minister,” the party's finance spokesman John McDonnell told BBC Radio .
He also said Labour would not do a coalition deal with any other party.
11:00 am:
What happens next?
With Britain now set for a hung parliament, even before all the results are confirmed, there will be little end to the uncertainty. The shock results — which saw the Conservatives dramatically underperform expectations — immediately raises questions about the future of Ms. May, who had called the election to seek validation of her own approach to Brexit and policy beyond.
While there is much speculation about who could succeed her, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson tops the list. Until there are any formal decisions on this, Ms. May will remain Prime Minister, and leader of her party.
The Conservatives will remain in power until a decision about the future government is taken. The Conservatives can try to negotiate a deal with other parties — most likely the DUP. If they were unable to do so they would step down, enabling the Labour to attempt to form a government.
The Labour Party has ruled out coalitions. Instead the party said it would attempt to form a minority government, which would put its vision of the road ahead to MPs in the Queen’s Speech to the House of Commons, following the opening of Parliament on June 19, pegging its ability to form a minority government on securing a mandate at that time.
10:30 am:
12 Indian-origin MPs
There will now be a record 12 Indian-origin MPs in Parliament after successes by two Sikh candidates for Labour: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi in Slough and Preet Kaur Gill in Birmingham Edgbaston.
Ms. Gill is the first Sikh woman to enter Parliament. All other incumbent Indian origin MPs have retained their seats, while the Conservative’s Paul Uppal failed to retake Wolverhampton South West even though his share of the vote rose, the Labour's grew by a greater margin.
10:25 am: The United Kingdom has once again given a split verdict after 2010. The Conservatives have managed to win 306 out of 632 seats declared. They still need 20 seats to cross the magic halfway mark. With results pending for just 18 seats, it's officially hung parliament.
10:05 am:
Amber Rudd wins after recount
Britain's interior minister Amber Rudd just managed to hold onto her seat in Thursday's national election, but she saw her previous 4,796 majority slashed to just 346 votes as her Conservative Party was predicted to lose its majority.
Rudd, who was one of the most visible ministers in the campaign, increased her share of the vote by 2.3 per cent to 46.9 per cent, but her Labour Party opponent increased his share by 11.1 per cent to come within a whisker of winning the Hastings and Rye constituency.
9:50 am: Pound Sterling saw its biggest daily fall since January before recovering some ground on Friday after exit polls and election results unexpectedly pointed to Prime Minister Theresa May losing her parliamentary majority in Britain's election.
9:30 am: British Prime Minister Theresa May should consider her position following a “dreadful” election campaign which is expected to see her Conservative Party lose its parliamentary majority, a lawmaker from her party, Anna Soubry, said.
“She's in a very difficult place, she's a remarkable and a very talented woman and she doesn't shy from difficult decisions, but she now has to obviously consider her position," Ms. Soubry told the BBC .
“Theresa did put her mark on this campaign, she takes responsibility as she always does, and I know she will, for the running of the campaign.”
9:15 am:
UKIP fades out
The eurosceptic UK Independence Party (UKIP) faces electoral oblivion.
A major force in the 2015 elections and a driver of last year's Brexit referendum result, UKIP was weakened by the departure of its media-savvy leader Nigel Farage, by internal rivalries and by May's pitch to its voters on Brexit negotiations.
On Thursday, its share of the vote was set to fall from 11 per cent to less than two per cent and the party is unlikely to recover even the single seat it held in the outgoing.
8:40 am:
Labour, Conservatives eating into SNP voteshare
Election night is also proving difficult for the Scottish National Party, under pressure from both the Conservatives and Labour. Its deputy leader Angus Robertson was ousted by the Conservatives, as was its candidate in the seat of Angus. Labour took the SNP seat of Rutherglen and Hamilton West.
The exit poll suggested the party could lose as many as 22. The party had called for a referendum at the “end of the Brexit process” as well as for a second referendum on Scottish independence. Ironically for the Conservatives, its performance in Scotland could play a decisive role in its wider standing in the general election results, as its strategy of targeting Labour heartlands has failed to pay off.
8:20 am:
A century later, Labour wrests Canterbury from Conservatives
One of the big upsets for the Conservatives has been the loss of Canterbury, a Conservative stronghold in the south east constituency of Kent since 1918, which voted in favour of leaving the European Union last year. Labour candidate Rosie Duffield won by a small majority of 187.
The results so far also suggest the Liberal Democrat strategy of pushing for a second referendum on Brexit may not have fully convinced: Nick Clegg, the former deputy Prime Minister lost his seat in Sheffield Hallam to the Labour Party. Party leader Tim Farron just held on to his seat, following a recount, and Sir Vince Cable, who was ousted from Parliament at the last election, was re-elected.
8:00 am:
Country needs stability: May
British Prime Minister Theresa May (C) arrives with her husband Philip (R) at the count centre in Maidenhead.
An emotional Theresa May, speaking as she secured a comfortable victory in her seat of Maidenhead, said the country needed stability, and that if the Conservatives had won the most seats as the exit poll had predicted, it would be incumbent on them to have that stability. “That is what we will do.”
“As we look across the country, votes are still being counted, we have yet to see the full picture, Ms. May said stressing that “this time the country needs stability.”
“My resolve is the same this morning as it always has been… I know that the country needs a period of stability and whatever the result the Conservatives will fulfill our duty to provide that stability,” she said.
With 450 seats declared as of now, Conservatives won 191, Labour 205
Resign, Corbyn tells May
7:50 am: Speaking as he held his seat of Islington North, on a raised majority, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn asked Prime Minister Theresa May to resign. “Politics has changed and politics isn’t going back into the box it was in before. They’ve said they’ve had enough of austerity politics and not giving young people the chance they deserve in our society,” Mr. Corbyn said.
"I'm proud of the results tonight. People are voting for hope and turning their backs on austerity, he said.
7:45 am:
UK ex-deputy premier Nick Clegg 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.
The centrist, pro—EU Liberal Democrats had hoped to make big gains in the election by scooping up voters who want to remain in the bloc. But many of those seem to have voted Labour instead.
Clegg urged all politicians to try and heal a “deeply divided and polarized nation.”
7:40 am:
Whoever ends up becoming United Kingdom’s new prime minister faces a daunting five years in office, with the negotiations of the country's withdrawal from the European Union topping the list of priorities. But there are four more challenges too.
7:35 am:
Leading Scottish nationalist loses seat
The deputy leader of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's pro-independence party lost his seat in Thursday's election, in what is projected to be a disappointing night for Scotland's nationalists.
Angus Robertson, who led the SNP in the British parliament, lost to Conservative Douglas Ross in the constituency of Moray in northeast Scotland.
7:20 am:
Farage fears another EU referendum if Labour wins
Former U.K. Independence Party 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.”
7:15 am: With the results of 220/650 seats declared, the Labour and Conservative are running neck-and-neck — 104 and 91 respectively.
7:10 am:
Labour's campaign on NHS helping the party: Neeraj Patil
Dr. Neeraj Patil, the Labour Candidate for Putney, who lost but greatly reduced the Conservatives majority there attributed the success of his campaign to his NHS background.
He told The Hindu ; “If you look at my campaign, with me in my scrubs and health care and social care big issues, I think this was very important.” He pointed to the high turnout within the population aged 50 and over, for whom a controversial measure in the Conservative manifesto over the costs of social care (on which the party was eventually forced to backtrack) played an important role.
“Sticking it in the manifesto and then amending it means you are not trustworthy and one thing I have seen within the British electorate if trust is lost its hard to regain. Theresa May lost trust by amending the manifesto and made people look like she took us for granted… she didn't long strong and stable but weak and wobbly.”
He added, “we’ve also been very careful about getting our sums correct, and that matters to people. We didn’t lie and set out how we would fund our programme by raising taxes on corporations and the wealthiest.”
“The Conservatives ran a negative campaign but this can be a double edged sword - you must be 100% accurate on your facts and figures if you are doing this - if you run a negative campaign you must not tell lies.”
Dr. Patil was the first Asian origin Mayor of the London borough of Lambeth and is a consultant in emergency medicine.
7:00 am:
Britons search 'hung parliament' on Google
With exit polls predicting that no party would get a majority, the UK is likely heading to a hung parliament. Google "What S A Hung Parliament" began to trend in Google searches, but that was only the second most-searched keyword.
The first one was DUP, the North Ireland-based unionist party, whose support could be crucial in the government formation, in case no party gets majority.
6:50 am: The head of Britain's Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, on Friday said the country's political landscape had been upended in a general election forecast to result in a hung parliament.
"Whatever the final result, our positive campaign has changed politics for the better," Corbyn said in a tweet. An exit poll predicted unexpected gains for Labour in Thursday's vote, causing Prime Minister Theresa May to lose her overall majority.
6:45 am:
Results appear to vindicate exit poll prediction
Vidya Ram
While past exit polls have had a patchy accuracy rate, some of the early results have suggested this one may be spot on. While the Conservatives held on to the seat of Swindon North, their performance was not as strong as they would have hoped for, with much of the collapse of the UKIP vote benefiting Labour rather than the Conservatives. Capturing the former UKIP vote had been a clear hope of the Conservatives in calling the election.
Another noteworthy result was that from the Labour constituency of Wrexham, which the Conservatives had targeted (including with two visits by Ms. May herself) but did not manage to wrestle out of Labour control.
Labour appears to be doing well in London too: in the constituency of Putney, Indian-origin doctor Neeraj Patil managed to close the gap on the Conservative cabinet minister Justine Greening, reducing her majority from around 10,000 to 1,554. Some are speculating that Scotland could ironically be a key factor for the Conservatives, as the party took the SNP seat of Angus.
6:34 am:
Darlington goes to Labour
Britain's Conservative Party failed to beat Labour in the north-east English seat of Darlington, an area that backed Brexit and a key target for the party that hoped to pick-up votes from the United Kingdom Independence Party.
The Conservatives' share rose 8.1 percent to 43.3 percent, but it was not enough to beat Labour, which also saw its share of the vote rise, by 7.7 percent to 50.6 percent.
UKIP, the Liberal Democrats and the Greens all saw their share of the vote fall as voters switched to the two main parties.
6:20 am:
Brexit leading to May's exit?
"If I lose just six seats I will lose this election and Jeremy Corbyn will be sitting down to negotiate with Europe." This was posted by Prime Minister Theresa May on May 20 during campaign.
"The next five years will be critical for Britain. Our future prosperity, our place in the world, our economic security and the opportunities we want for our children – and our children’s children – all depend on getting the best Brexit deal for Britain," her Facebook post said. This went on to be her key point during campaigns.
But in a fortnight, Britain's poll agenda changed from Brexit to counter-terror after the deadly Manchester and London attacks.
6:10 am:
Labour leads
More than three hours after polls closed in Britain’s election, the first seat has changed hands, with Labour winning a constituency from the Scottish National Party.
Labour, the main opposition party, took Rutherglen and Hamilton West from the pro-independence SNP.
Of the other 20-plus seats that have declared, all stayed with the parties that held them before the election.
An exit poll suggests Labour is on course for a stronger-than-expected result, and Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives could lose their majority in Parliament.
That result would be a shock, overturning a big Conservative lead at the start of the campaign.
Mr. Corbyn said that “whatever the final result, we have already changed the face of British politics.”
4:30 am:
First result
The northern English city of Newcastle has claimed victory in the race to be the first to declare a result in Britain’s general election.
An electoral officer announced that Labour had won the seat of Newcastle Central just before 2200GMT on Thursday, less than an hour after polls closed. That was six minutes ahead of the rival northern England seat of Houghton and Sunderland South, which declared first in 2015. That seat also went to Labour.
The two cities take the contest to declare first seriously, practicing rapid ballot—counting and rushing ballot boxes from polling stations to the count center.
Sunderland uses schoolchildren to run with the boxes, while Newcastle relies on sports students.
Ballots are being counted in an early election called by Prime Minister Theresa May, with an exit poll projecting she may lose her majority in Parliament.
1 a.m.: As you wait for the first results to trickle in here’s look back on the snap election and it’s movers and shakers.
The campaign saw three phases: the sleepy election, the surprising election and the security election. What initially seemed the dullest campaign in memory has been transformed through unexpected missteps, surprise developments and deadly attacks that have pushed national security to the top of the agenda.
