Tag: UK elections

The new UK government will be "a positive participant in the European Union, playing a strong and positive role with our partners," reads the text of a coalition agreement struck between the Conservatives and their Liberal Democrat partners, indicating that the coalition may pursue a more conciliatory approach to its relations with the bloc than the Tories had suggested in their campaign.

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on 10 May he would step aside this year, sacrificing himself to try to give his Labour Party a chance of forming a government with the smaller Liberal Democrats.

By Friday afternoon (7 May) with counting almost complete, Britain's opposition Conservatives had become the largest party in parliament after the closest election in three decades. But the UK now has a "hung parliament" without a clear majority, and by the close of business it was still uncertain who would eventually run the country.

Britain's 'special relationship' with the United States, already past its heyday, may become increasingly humdrum if Thursday's (6 May) parliamentary election delivers a weak, minority government, analysts say.

UK Conservative leader David Cameron, who according to polls remains on track to become the next British prime minister, delivered a vintage Tory performance in Thursday night's televised election debate, declaring that his government wanted to be "in the EU, not run by it". But his opponents accused him of wanting to isolate the UK on the global stage. 

A Conservative government would "constructively engage" with the EU but introduce a 'referendum lock' on all future transfers of power from London to Brussels, while Labour would seek to preserve Britain's role as a "leading player in Europe," reveal the parties' manifestos, launched this week ahead of a general election due on 6 May. 

With a general election expected in early May, making life easier for small businesses is moving to the top of the political agenda. The Conservatives are promising to reverse an increase in national insurance, while Labour takes credit for saving the banks and the Liberal Democrats claim to have foreseen the crisis.