Theresa May to form minority government

For many British voters, the feeling after the country's third major vote in as many years was weariness.

The Conservative leader had called the election in a bid to extend her majority and strengthen her hand in the looming Brexit negotiations, but her gamble backfired spectacularly.

If she is to succeed in delivering the end of Britain's European Union membership which 52 per cent of the British public demanded past year, she must find a way to recapture the full support of her party because she will need their votes to pass legislation preparing for and ultimately enacting the departure.

To a large degree, those tensions mirror comparable divisions and polarization in the US, both during and after last November's presidential election.

Q: What happens if no party is able to form a government? This week's general election proved disastrous for her Conservative Party. "This will allow us to come together as a country and channel our energies towards a successful Brexit deal". The opposition Labor Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, gained 32 seats. However due to her poor showing, May is now forced into an informal alliance with the socially conservative DUP who have campaigned for a "soft" Brexit, retaining more of the links to Europe that currently exist.

She said the government would start Brexit negotiations with the European Union as scheduled in 10 days' time. We know when they must end.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn lost Britain's election, but his beaming smile and enthusiastic thumbs' up the morning after was the demeanor of a man who knew he was nevertheless the victor.

And in this she was right. "Whoever takes over has to understand campaigning is important", he told AFP in London. Although some results are still being counted, the final Conservative tally is expected to be 319, down from 331 in the last election in 2015.

"The country needs a period of stability, and whatever the results are, the Conservative Party will ensure we fulfill our duty in ensuring that stability", she said. It's just conceivable that May could deliver a Brexit success - whatever that means - and win back her shattered credibility without losing power.

Labour, under the leadership of the left-wing Jeremy Corbyn, managed to cut the Conservative Party's membership down past the point of a majority - producing a hung Parliament and a greatly weakened May.

For some European leaders, the election result does complicate the situation.

May said Brexit talks would begin on June 19 as scheduled, the same day as the formal reopening of parliament.

Seeking to capitalise on sky-high popularity ratings, she called the election a few weeks later, urging voters to give her a stronger mandate. Compromises over trade and immigration are necessary if Britain is to retain access to a trading bloc representing nearly 44 percent of its export market in goods and services.

Barely a month ago, the centre-left party seemed doomed to lose the election, plagued by internal divisions over its direction under veteran socialist Corbyn.

Actor and rapper Riz Ahmed wrote in support of Corbyn on Twitter: "Big up Jezza for reviving so many ppls [sic] hope in politics".

On May 22, a suicide bomber killed 23 people at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

Last Saturday, three assailants mowed down pedestrians and launched a stabbing rampage around London Bridge, killing eight people before being shot dead by police. Rather than expanding her party's grip, Labour swept in and created an unprecedented deadlock, necessitating a coalition government.

The two sides are looking to form a "confidence and supply" arrangement. By tradition, defeat on a Queen's Speech vote topples the government.

Despite the surprise election result, France's prime minister said he doesn't believe voters have changed their minds about Brexit.