WORLD
UK election 2017: Conservatives lose majority
Baku, June 9, AZERTAC
Britain's Conservatives have lost their majority in a snap general election that has resulted in a hung parliament.
With just a handful of seats left to declare, Thursday's poll shows gains for the opposition Labour Party.
This is seen as a humiliation for PM Minister Theresa May, who chose to call the election to try to strengthen her hand in talks with the EU on Brexit.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged her to resign, but she said her party would "ensure" stability in the UK.
"At this time more than anything else, this country needs a period of stability," Mrs May said early on Friday. "And if, as the indications have shown and if this is correct that the Conservative Party has won the most seats and probably the most votes, then it will be incumbent on us to ensure we have that period of stability - and that is exactly what we will do."
Mrs May - who had a small majority in the previous parliament - had called an early election to try to improve her negotiation positions on Brexit.
Final election results are expected by Friday lunchtime.
The biggest shock of the night so far has been Liberal Democrat MP Nick Clegg losing his seat to a Labour candidate. He was deputy prime minister of the UK from 2010 to 2015 in a coalition government with the Conservatives.
Former Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond was also defeated, losing his seat to a Conservative.
A total of 650 Westminster MPs are being elected, with about 45.8 million people entitled to vote. A party needs 326 seats to have an overall majority.