Testing times ahead for UK after Tory win

THURSDAY'S UK general election has left a remarkable outcome. Defying many recent polls, the Conservatives have emerged as the largest party by a significant margin, the first incumbent party to gain seats for over 30 years - since Margaret Thatcher's second victory in 1983.

And this has important implications for both UK domestic and foreign policy, including the prospect of an "in-out" EU referendum in or before 2017, a key Conservative election pledge. Given that polls show up to half of the UK populace are opposed to continued membership of the European Union, this could see Britain exiting.

This would be opposed by much of the UK business community, and could now have a chilling effect on global inward investment decisions by internationally-headquartered firms basing themselves in Britain as a hub within the EU.