iStock/Thinkstock(LONDON) — The U.K. national election has ended in a hung Parliament — meaning that no party won an outright majority of seats in Parliament. With almost all votes counted, Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party is set to win 319 MP seats, which is short of the 326 needed for an overall majority.
So what happens next?
Who is leading the country now?
Theresa May, leader of the Conservative Party, is still prime minister and her government continues to be in charge, until a new government is formed. Some MPs, however, have called for May to resign because she called for the election to strengthen her mandate; instead, her party lost its majority in parliament.
The Conservatives won the most seats in parliament. That means that they will stay in charge, right?
Most likely — but not necessarily. The Conservatives and one or more other parties could try to form a coalition and agree to govern the country together. Right now, the most likely scenario seems to be that May will make a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland. The party won 10 seats overnight and would allow May a very slight majority. This alliance between Conservatives and the Democratic Unionist Party is not new in British politics.
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labor Party which far surpassed expectations by gaining seats, has also said that he is “ready to serve” in the event that the Conservatives cannot form a government.
The party with the most seats can also try to govern with a minority — but if the party doesn’t get enough support on an important vote, it might force a new general election.
Who gets the first chance to try to form a majority government?
As May’s Conservative Party received the highest number of seats and is the largest party, it gets the first crack at forming a government despite not having won a majority. But nothing prevents Labor leader Corbyn from having talks and trying to make a deal at the same time.
When is the deadline for forming a government?
While there is no official deadline, May is expected to make a deal by June 13, the day the new Parliament gathers for the first time.
The last time the U.K. had a hung parliament was in 2010. Back then it took five days to put together a coalition government, which saw the Conservatives rule in tandem with the Liberal Democrats.
On June 19, the government has to declare its program and the laws it would like to pass in the so-called “Queen’s Speech.” If the government doesn’t have a majority by then, these laws might be voted down, meaning a new election could be called.
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