You may remember: The forecasts said that this would be a very close election, with tiny differences between the two major parties. The actual result tells a different story. David Cameron, the old Prime Minister, will probably be the new Prime Minister, too - and this time, he doesn't even need a coalition partner like last time. The Conservatives won an absolute majority.
Election 2015 Results: At-a-Glance (BBC)
The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister in Cameron's old government, also resigned because of the disastrous losses his party suffered in this election - they went from 57 down to just 8 seats in the newly elected parliament.
Here is a passage from an article in the Guardian, analysing causes and consequences of the election results in brief:
You can read the whole article here:
David Cameron vows to rule UK as 'one nation' but Scottish question looms
Election 2015 Results: At-a-Glance (BBC)
- Here is David Cameron's speech on the morning of 8th May, 2015; please pay special attention to what he says at 4:07:
UK election results: David Cameron pledges a 'greater Britain'
- And here Ed Miliband, the Labour Party's candidate - and party leader - declares his resignation as Labour party leader:
Labour election results: Ed Miliband resigns as leader
The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg, deputy prime minister in Cameron's old government, also resigned because of the disastrous losses his party suffered in this election - they went from 57 down to just 8 seats in the newly elected parliament.
Here is a passage from an article in the Guardian, analysing causes and consequences of the election results in brief:
[...T]he prime minister’s victory was partly the product of the relentless Conservative campaign to highlight the dangers of a Labour minority government propped up by the left-leaning SNP – and this polarises Britain in an unprecedented way. Critics have protested that the outcome, a tactical success in England, could accelerate the breakup of the United Kingdom.
It is a development that the US, EU and other allies, including those in Nato, fear because it would weaken Britain’s international standing and place a question over its Trident submarine nuclear defence capability – currently based in Holy Loch in Scotland.
But financial markets responded strongly to news of a Conservative win – which lifted the Labour threat of higher corporate and personal taxes for the City of London, along with more stringent regulation.
But financial markets responded strongly to news of a Conservative win – which lifted the Labour threat of higher corporate and personal taxes for the City of London, along with more stringent regulation.
The Scottish result may be the more significant overnight development. The SNP, which lost a referendum to end the union with England last September, won all but three of Scotland’s 59 seats, dozens of them from Labour in a region that was once a stronghold for the party and opening the way to significant influence in Britain’s 650-seat Westminster parliament as Cameron’s Conservatives seek to govern with a slender majority.
With Clegg’s own key cabinet allies – including veteran business secretary Vince Cable – also punished with defeat by voters, the deputy prime minister felt he had no choice but to step aside. As with Labour, there is no clear successor to start restoring devastated party morale. Long the repository of third party moderate hopes, his party was blamed for sustaining the Tories rather than restraining them.
You can read the whole article here:
David Cameron vows to rule UK as 'one nation' but Scottish question looms
