united_kingdom government formation events surrounding formation united_kingdom government took place following general election failed produce overall majority country main political parties election held resulted hung parliament years sparking series negotiations form coalition government second world war governing labour administration led defeated election lost overall majority years office opposition conservatives led won largest number seats new parliament fell short number required secure overall majority consequently senior figures parties embarked series break meetings representatives led aimed forming coalition government leader largest party announced liberal democrats enter talks party held greater number seats series meetings conservatives began shortly hung parliament announced continued weekend election negotiations held labour_party signalled willingness join labour liberal democrats government rainbow coalition quickly clear continued presence prime minister seen major obstacle labour liberal democrat deal brown relinquished role labour leader party failed reach agreement liberal democrats instead struck deal conservatives following day brown resigned prime minister evening conservative liberal democrat coalition government led took office shortly liberal democrats emerged meeting parliamentary party announce coalition deal approved overwhelmingly shortly midnight later day parties published conservative liberal democrat coalition agreement setting terms deal cameron prime minister liberal democrat leader appointed deputy prime minister background labour_party came government leadership electoral conservative government led ended years conservative rule having secured landslide victory seats house_of_commons party working majority seats went win elections term office blair government introduced popular policies including legislation establish national minimum wage reducing length hospital waiting lists powers scotland wales blair played key role northern_ireland peace process decision commit british troops invasion iraq turned public opinion lost support mps blair stepped prime minister june succeeded chancellor blair decade long time economic boom united_kingdom brown tenure prime minister dominated global recession 2000s commentators perceived brown good decisions economic crisis providing financial aid banks found difficulty fiscal policy borrowing spending led dramatic increase country national debt viewed media lacked skills major event occurred brown time government scandal involving mps expenses damaged public trust politicians april years passed previous general election held requiring fresh election place april brown went buckingham palace ask queen dissolve parliament april preparation general election live press conference downing street brown announced election held time announcement election dissolution parliament known wash allow handling unfinished legislative business parliamentary session conclusion labour campaigned secure fourth consecutive term office restore support lost sought gain dominant position british politics losses 1990s replace labour governing party liberal democrats hoped gains sides possibly hold balance power hung parliament televised debates leaders type election campaign united_kingdom poll ratings risen point considered possibility liberal democrat role government cameron generally received viewers debates brown performance considered successful brown image harmed privately described year old woman raised issue benefits immigration campaign trip greater manchester remarks recorded microphone wearing driven away visit widely broadcast polls election day showed slight swing liberal democrats labour conservatives final polls falling point conservatives labour record numbers voters raised uncertainty outcome encouraged victory scottish parliament elections set target returning mps hoped find holding balance power equally sought gains wales northern_ireland aimed maintain increase number seats having fourth largest party house_of_commons smaller parties successes local elections european elections aimed extend representation seats house_of_commons election general election held thursday saw increase voter turnout day conducted exit poll behalf bbc sky itv news services results announced polls closed data gathered individuals polling stations country suggested hung parliament initial estimate achieve seats seats short controlling majority deficit later adjusted seats distribution seats initially predicted conservatives labour liberal democrats parties figures later updated minor adjustment labour favour apparently poor prospects liberal democrats surprise commentators previous opinion polls indicated receive seats later bbc exit poll published friday predicted conservatives short overall majority labour liberal democrats bbc confirmed hung parliament impossible conservative party gain number seats needed form majority government seats required technical majority necessary practical majority mps expected boycott house_of_commons time conservatives stood seats labour liberal democrats final results conservatives seats labour liberal democrats seats contested england conservatives won absolute majority seats secured average swing labour seat elected contested candidates died scotland seats won parties won election labour regaining seats lost elections labour increased share vote conservatives giving swing conservatives labour conservatives won scottish constituency hoped increase share seats seven failed seats contested wales conservative share rose seats taking liberal democrats labour welsh nationalist party gained extra seat labour overall labour lost seats remained biggest party wales seats seats contested northern_ireland irish nationalist parties held seats electoral pact conservatives lost seat lost seat left nationalist parties seats parties seats seat independent seat time partition ireland parties failed secure majority northern_ireland westminster seats general election initial statements negotiations single party having achieved overall majority general election resulted hung parliament clear party achieve outright majority needed form government main party leaders public statements offering discuss options putting administration parties liberal democrat leader called prime minister conservative leader act national interest narrow party political advantage having stated election party seats initial forming government announced intention begin talks speaking outside liberal democrat headquarters said prove capable seeking govern national interest brown said intended play securing stable strong government indicated willingness speak cameron achieve saying seen ordinary election results shortly cameron held press conference invited liberal democrats talks saying want big open comprehensive offer liberal democrats want work country big urgent problems debt crisis deep social problems broken political system constitutional rules governing protocol event hung parliament brown sitting prime minister remain office new government formed process continue resolution scheduled brown instructions cabinet secretary sir donnell updated protocol dealing hung parliament earlier year following confirmation party achieved overall majority brown authorised donnell begin process member teams civil servants sent main political parties facilitate negotiations cameron willingness hold talks liberal democrats interpreted political editor possibility liberal democrat mps serve cabinet afternoon cameron spoke telephone bbc reported conversation evening talks teams senior representatives liberal democrats conservatives begun liberal democrats team consisted conservative team talks morning saturday talks conservatives liberal democrats fully underway minute meeting admiralty house westminster described parties meeting scheduled following day private meeting evening cameron held series talks discuss negotiations members earlier met discuss coalition talks chief issues liberal democrats wished address coalition agreement electoral reform party members debated negotiations strong crowd protesters pressure group degrees gathered outside amid chants fair votes want speak briefly left meeting accept petition told protesters reforming politics reasons went politics meeting liberal democrats said members endorsed strategy outlined conservatives choice negotiations forming government met party federal executive endorsed decision anniversary day marked victory nazi germany end second world war europe celebrations held mark occasion leaders parties attended ceremony duty normally falls prime minister ceremony brown flew family home scotland remained ready negotiate liberal democrats deal conservatives reached labour denied reports heated telephone conversation brown support brown cabinet colleagues remained strong urged brown step aside labour leader party conference september arguing brown continued leadership rules credibility lab pact negotiations continue sunday senior liberal democrats conservatives embarked hours talks described positive productive emerged discussions issues covered included political reform economic issues reduction deficit banking reform civil liberties environmental issues good discussions areas agreed central agreement economic stability reduction budget deficit negotiating team going report party leaders negotiations taking place returned downing street held meeting talks spokesman later confirmed talks previous evening telephone conversation brown described discussion previous liberal democrat leader offered different view brown conference telling bbc threatening approach following success talks parties cameron held second round face face discussions westminster evening lasting minutes negotiations continued form administration business government continued previous respect chancellor flew brussels attend meeting european finance ministers london brown held meetings business secretary deputy leader secretary state energy special adviser brown sent email party activists thanked work election campaign concluded past days seen enter political landscape considered possible short weeks ago outcome election leading single party able form majority government duty prime minister seek resolve situation senior labour including called brown step labour enters picture monday saw day talks conservatives liberal democrats meeting mps urged assurances offers team wished continue negotiations labour day emerged senior labour liberal democrat representatives held discussions forming coalition barriers continued presence prime minister afternoon brown announced step labour leader september statement said intended labour_party set train processes needed leadership election statement went hope completed time new leader post time labour_party conference play contest individual candidate urged prospective candidates position wait coalition negotiations complete announcing candidacy following announcement formal talks began labour liberal democrats party felt labour liberal democrat coalition unrealistic prospect fall short seats needed form majority government seats conservatives labour said don think makes sense numbers don add account labour negotiations liberal democrats participated talks writes general consensus members cabinet talks conservatives liberal democrats reach process turn favour rehearsed extent differences labour attempting form coalition government conservatives promised liberal democrats referendum changing voting mechanism alternative vote system response labour said introduce hold public referendum approve statement outlining decision negotiate labour said party progress conservatives reached comprehensive partnership agreement parliament negotiating labour responsible thing possibility involvement labour led government leader house_of_commons suggested mps willing join labour liberal democrats mps smaller parties form rainbow coalition reported meeting discuss scenario held chief whip officials previous evening labour said situation labour enter government parties fundamental differences clear senior labour officials approached coalition deal reached possibility deal liberal democrats labour looking unlikely talks conservatives liberal democrats continued concluding able form government brown announced resignation evening resigned leader labour_party immediate effect left downing street wife children drove buckingham palace resignation queen advised cameron prime minister hour queen accepted brown resignation arrived downing street wife samantha shortly address outside downing street announced intention form coalition government second world war liberal democrats cameron appointed deputy prime minister cameron met mps greeted cheering heard central hall cameron later told bbc documentary expected prime minister coalition agreement completed brown resigned speaking programme days broadcast july said went meet queen buckingham palace coalition deal finalised formally monarch invite prospective prime minister form government shape government new prime minister decide said cameron travelled palace coalition agreement completed signed shortly midnight liberal democrats emerged meeting parliamentary party announce coalition deal approved overwhelmingly meaning lead coalition government conservatives liberal democrats later day parties jointly published conservative liberal democrat coalition agreement terms deal cameron appointed cabinet included senior conservative liberal democrat figures conservatives chancellor named foreign secretary appointed minister state liberal democrat appointments included secretary state scotland secretary chief secretary treasury cameron gave joint press conference afternoon telling journalists purpose government country strong stable decisive leadership need new parliamentary session began cameron attended prime minister questions prime minister wednesday june labour brown departure acting leader labour announced details leadership election elected party new leader annual national conference september
2010 United Kingdom government formation