London – The Latest on Britain’s parliamentary election (all times local): – AP/UNB7:55 a.m.
Britain’s news media says Theresa May has no intention of giving up the post of prime minister even though her Conservative Party lost its majority in the House of Commons in Thursday’s general election.
Mays’ future as leader and head of the Conservative Party is being openly questioned after her call to hold a snap election backfired.
May called the election in hopes of increasing her majority in order to give her a stronger hand in negotiations with the European Union over Britain’s exit. However, with nearly all votes counted, the Conservatives are on 315 seats, short of the 326 mark that ensures a majority. The Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, did much better than most forecasters predicted, and has 261 seats at last count.
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6 a.m.
British media are reporting that Conservatives can no longer win an outright majority in Parliament.
Sky News reported early Friday that Labour held the seat of Southampton Test, guaranteeing that no party will reach the 326 seats necessary for an overall majority in the 650-seat Parliament.
The result will heap pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May to resign, after she called a snap election in the hope of increasing the Conservative majority in Parliament to strengthen her position in Brexit negotiations.
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5:20 a.m.
Britain’s home secretary has narrowly avoided defeat in the general election, holding on to her seat in Parliament by 346 votes after a recount.
In the 2015 election, Amber Rudd won the Hastings and Rye seat in southern England by almost 5,000 votes. But the governing Conservative Party has suffered big losses in the election and is on the verge of losing its parliamentary majority.
Several government ministers have lost their seats.
The result will heap pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May to resign, and many consider Rudd a potential Conservative leader.
She is regarded as having performed well during the campaign, which was marred by deadly attacks in Manchester and London. As home secretary, Rudd is in charge of the police and security services and helped lead the response to the attacks.
