| POLITICAL CHANGE IN LONDON 07/05/2010 |
| (2010-05-07) |
| Last updated: 2010-05-10 13:57 EET |
After 13 years of political domination, the Labour Party, which prime minister Gordon Brown has inherited from Tony Blair, has lost the parliamentary elections to their Conservative rivals. However, things are not yet settled, because David Cameron's Conservatives haven't won an absolute majority in Parliament. This situation, in which no party holds absolute majority is called 'hung Parliament' in London and is something Britain hasn't had in three decades. If the situation stays the same, acting prime minister Gordon Brown will probably try and form another government, most likely jointly with the centre-right Liberal Democrats, the third political force in the country.
The party led by the charismatic Nick Clegg, which at some point ranked second in opinion polls obtained a disappointing result compared to its supporters' expectations. If Gordon Brown fails to convince the Liberal Democrats to form an alliance together, the ball will be in the court of David Cameron, an experienced Conservative leader who reformed the party and brought it closer to voters, softening the classic image of the tough right wing Conservative. Cameron may also try and form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats or form a minority cabinet with the help of MPs from smaller parties. Cameron says this election has shown that voters want change and promised to form a good and stable cabinet. Voter turnout was very high, of almost 65%, and, in several constituencies, there were even protests by people who never got to vote, something which has never happened before in Britain.
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2025-04-03
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