UK Election 2017: Hung Parliament As Theresa May Fails To Gain Majority

The United Kingdom woke up to a hung parliament on Friday as the Conservative Party of the current Prime Minister Theresa May failed to win 326 seats required to achieve a majority in the House of Commons. Although May’s party has won most seats, it will not be able to rule without support from minority parties.

According to the UK’s Cabinet Manual, the incumbent PM is entitled to attempt to form a government and stay in office until Parliament meets. Parliament is expected to meet for the first time after the election on 13 June. However, it is not as simple as it seems. The Cabinet Manual also says that the incumbent government “is expected to resign if it becomes clear that it is unlikely to be able to command that confidence and there is a clear alternative”.

Leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour party, which has emerged as the second most popular political force in this election, has called on May to resign saying 'politics has changed" as the country has rejected her policies of "austerity". May has rejected Corbyn’s idea, saying the country needs a "period of stability" and vowed to continue as PM. "If the Conservative Party has won the most seats and most votes, it will be incumbent on it to ensure stability," she said.

May gambled on a snap general election in April to get a bigger parliamentary majority. She had called the election three years earlier than required by law. Exit polls last week indicated that May's party will lose overall majority.

The result has plunged the UK into another period of political uncertainty, with formal Brexit talks with the European Union scheduled to start in 10 days.