UK govt a minority on eve of Brexit talks

Instead of a projected landslide in her favour, May ended up throwing away the small majority that the former David Cameron-led party had won in the 2015 general election.

Britain's Conservatives have lost their majority in the general elections that has resulted in a hung parliament.

"Substantive Brexit negotiations were unlikely to happen until after the German elections in the autumn, so there is time for both the United Kingdom and the rest of the European Union to think through where negotiations might go next", he said.

A delay in forming a government could push back the start of Brexit talks, now scheduled for June 19, and reduce the time available for what are expected to be the most complex negotiations in post-World War Two European history.

Labour performed above all expectations at the ballot box, winning 261 seats with one result yet to come.

Anand Menon, professor of politics at King's College London, said her lack of a parliamentary majority made it far more likely that Britain would leave the European Union without a deal.

A failure to get legislation through Parliament could eventually trigger another election.

If she is to succeed in delivering the wishes of 52 percent of the public and take Britain out of the European Union, she must find a way to secure the full support of her party to pass legislation preparing for and enacting the departure.

"The government I lead will put fairness and opportunity at the heart of everything we do so that we will fulfill the promise of Brexit together", May said.

"I think we need a change".

Though her Conservative party has emerged as the single largest party, it is short of a majority. Last night, Britain got outcome number three, and this morning, a chastened but outwardly defiant May vowed to form a coalition government, whose most likely partner is the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland.

John Redwood, a senior Conservative, disputes the claim, arguing the result did not mean there should be any softening in a hard divorce from Europe, noting that Labour, the second largest party, also endorsed Brexit in its election manifesto.

Speaking Friday, leader Arlene Foster said the DUP would enter into discussions with the Prime Minister to "bring stability to our nation at this time of great challenge".

British Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to relinquish her two closest aides on Saturday as she struggled to reassert her authority following a crushing electoral setback.

The day after the British elections, NPR.org showed considerably more interest in a candidate who ran dressed as a "space lord" than in the leader of the Labour Party.

The Czech prime minister said Friday that Britain should not be granted any extension on the two-year deadline for the Brexit talks.

By talking tough on immigration and trade she thought she would win over some of the almost four million UKIP voters last time. The other side in Brussels say they are ready to start talks on 19 June.

The win took Labour's tally to 262 MPs as Jeremy Corbyn's party soared to a 40% share of the popular vote. "I think the only thing that political commentators can agree on is that we have uncertainty right now and nobody has any clue what shape this negotiation is going to take".

That did not help May, who had overseen cuts in police numbers during six years in her previous job as interior minister.

Pundits will say that May lost the election because she performed robotically on the campaign trail, failed to answer journalists' questions with conviction, and refused to debate Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who campaigned with more panache than anyone expected. European officials are anxious that the weaker position of the Conservatives make a breakdown in negotiations more likely.