Theresa May is refusing to quit as Prime
Minister despite her disastrous election night as the UK voted for a hung
parliament.
Mrs May’s decision to call a snap election
backfired in spectacular fashion as she lost the Conservatives’ majority in the
House of Commons as Labour made significant gains
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, urged Mrs May
to resign as he said she should "go and make way for a government that is
truly representative of this country".
Meanwhile, even senior Tory figures have
suggested she should consider her position
However, Mrs May insisted the UK needed a period
of stability as she delivered a speech following her re-election as the MP for
Maidenhead.
She said: “At this time, more than anything
else, this country needs a period of stability.
"If, as the indications have shown and if
this is correct, the Conservative Party has won the most seats and probably the
most votes, then it will be incumbent on us to ensure that we have that period
of stability and that is exactly what we will do."
As things stood at 7.50am on Friday morning, the
Conservatives had won 314 seats, a loss of 12, while Labour had won 261, a gain
of 29.
And with 645 of the 650 seats now declared, no
single party will be able to secure an overall majority, with a hung parliament
now guaranteed.
On a night of high drama when most pundits
predicted an overwhelming Tory victory Mrs May failed to strengthen her hand
ahead of Brexit negotiations as she had hoped.
Her decision to call an early election cost a
handful of her ministers to lose their seats including Ben Gummer, the
architect of the Tory manifesto, and Jane Ellison, the Financial Secretary to
the Treasury.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd clung onto her
Hastings and Rye seat after fierce speculation that she could be ousted.
The Conservative nightmare was perhaps only
matched by the SNP with the party losing 21 seats including its two Westminster
big beasts Angus Robertson and Alex Salmond.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats managed to make
four gains, securing 12 seats in all.
However, Nick Clegg lost his Sheffield Hallam
seat as Vince Cable secured a return to Parliament after taking back his old
Twickenham seat.
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