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You are > Home > UK opts for a new shade over Brown
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Thursday, May 13, 2010
UK opts for a new shade over Brown
BY FINBARR SLATTERY
THE 2010 general election held last Thursday in the UK ended up in a stalemate with no party securing an overall majority.
This resulted in what is known as a hung parliament which is always a very unsatisfactory result in governing a country as the main party in power is continually looking over its shoulder, so to speak.
This result was forecast widely before the election took place. I did so in my forecast last week but I was wrong when I opted for Labour to be the main party in power. In the end it was the Conservatives – or Tories – that had the largest party.
The exit poll taken after people had voted got it right. The result of this poll was shown on TV at 10pm on Thursday just as the polls closed and here it is:
Conservative: 307 (+97)
Labour: 255 (-94)
Liberal Democrats: 61 (1)
The end result, with three seats to be filled, was:
Conservative: 304
Labour: 258
Liberal Democrats: 57
Here are the headlines on Friday’s papers which gives a good idea of the confusion in store.
"New era brings an end to Labour’s Hegemnony" – International Herald Tribune
"Brown digs in as Tories claim they have won right to Govern" – The Guardian
"Cameron on course for victory, says exit poll" – Daily Telegraph
"Poll points to hung parliament as Cameron short of majority" – Irish News
"Tories main party in hung parliament, says exit poll" – the Irish Times
"Item One on the curriculum for new UK Prime Minister: Greek Lessons" – Wall Street Journal.
The biggest shock in the election was in the North of Ireland where Peter Robinson failed to get elected. In the North too, we had the closest result in the election when after the third recount in FermanaghSouth Tyrone, Sinn Fein’s Michelle Gilderman held the seat by four votes.
So there you have it. Interesting times ahead to see how it will all end up. The new occupant of 10, Downing Street will certainly have a tough task on hands.
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