Shock waves in UK as May wins high-stakes election but loses parliamentary majority

London

BRITAIN'S hung Parliament raises the difficulties of upcoming Brexit negotiations and worsens economic prospects for the nation and Europe. The UK is now wracked with uncertainty and politicians are criticising the two former Conservative prime ministers for self-inflicted harm: David Cameron for calling the Brexit referendum on the assumption that voters would choose to remain in the European Union (EU) and Theresa May for calling an election, a move that was not necessary, in the hope of a landslide victory.

With 649 of 650 constituencies declared, the Conservatives won 318 seats, eight short of the 326 majority. Mrs May has formed a minority government after reaching an understanding with the 10 MPs from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from Northern Ireland. The nation thus has a Tory-Unionist coalition with a wafer-thin majority of 328 seats. Mrs May said she planned to stick to the timetable for starting Brexit negotiations in 10 days, with a new government that would take Britain out of the EU.