Sterling steadied on Monday as British Prime Minister Theresa May scrambled to pick up the pieces and reunite her Conservative Party after a disastrous election that could disrupt Brexit negotiations.
The move might offer hope to Conservative lawmakers who have criticised her style of government.
In Thursday's election the Conservatives won 318 of the 650 House of Commons seats, 12 fewer than the party had before the snap election, and eight short of the 326 needed for an outright majority.
Prior to the election, the Conservative party manifesto pledged that should the party remain in power it would continue "strong support for the arts" in the United Kingdom, with a focus on allocating more support outside London.
People held up pro-Jeremy Corbyn messages and anti-DUP signs as they made their way down from Parliament Square.
"What I'm doing now is actually getting on with the immediate job. In other words, we could easily get to the middle of next week and it all collapses for her".
Her new chief of staff will be Gavin Barwell, a former MP who was ousted from his south London constituency as a result of Labour's unexpectedly strong showing in the election. But that has left May increasingly isolated in the upper reaches of the government and their departure failed to curb the clamor of criticism from within her parliamentary party as well as from constituency leaders across the country.
The PM's spokesman told reporters it was not for him to confirm the date - which has been in the Queen's diary since April - and that new Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom would be providing an "update" shortly.
In order to be taken seriously by the European Union and the wider world, the United Kingdom government has to accept it has sought the mandate of the people four times in the last three years in the two constitutional referenda and in two General elections. What can Theresa May do?
May announced on Friday she would seek to form a minority government with the help of a small Northern Irish party, the ultra-conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). This is based on the assumption that the Tories can strike a deal with the DUP and that all of May's members support her.
Warren Gatland puts on courageous face as British and Irish Lions flounder
They increased their lead after the break with an Ihaia West kick, but the Lions came back with two penalties from Lee Halfpenny. He said: " They're in the infancy of this tour, they'll only get better, and they'll be a good side when the Tests come round ".
Downing Street backtracked, saying she had "discussed finalising" a deal in the coming week.
Ruth Davidson, out-lesbian leader of the Scottish Conservative Party warned May to keep the DUP in line. No one knows yet.
The DUP opposes gay marriage and Northern Ireland remains the only part of the United Kingdom where women can not access abortion unless their life is endangered by the pregnancy.
She said she had sought and received assurances from Mrs May that she would try to advance gay rights in Northern Ireland - the only part of the United Kingdom where same-sex marriage is not permitted - regardless of the DUP deal. Fallon said the DUP would agree to back the Conservatives on big economic and security issues.
DUP leader Arlene Foster told Sky News she would meet May at Downing Street on Tuesday.
Ireland's foreign minister Charlie Flanagan said his country, which after Brexit will have the EU's only land border with the United Kingdom, was very keen for the Brexit talks to start, and to produce a deal that would not endanger Northern Ireland's fragile peace process.
But the confusion reinforced a sense of chaos at the heart of government just days before Britain starts the complex and fraught negotiations on leaving the European Union. The talks, which are likely to be of unprecedented complexity, are supposed to wrap up by the end of March 2019 when the United Kingdom actually leaves.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn feels he can "still be the prime minister" and indicated today that the United Kingdom could face another election as beleaguered Theresa May's attempt to stitch an alliance to run a minority government after suffering a poll debacle has not yet fructified.
"This is not the time for sharks to be circling".
Comments