Brown battles to cling to power
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was fighting to keep Labour in power today by tempting the Liberal Democrats into a coalition government as Britain seemed set for a hung parliament.
Conservative leader David Cameron insisted Labour had “lost its mandate to govern our country”, as his party raced ahead in terms of seats won in the new parliament.
But he looked set to fall just short of the 326 seats he needs for an overall majority in the Commons.
A BBC/ITV News/Sky News survey forecast the Conservatives would win 305 seats with Labour on 255 and the Lib Dems on 61.
And forecasts based on actual results predicted a similar outcome.
With 155 seats still to declare, the Conservatives had won 241, Labour 189 and the Lib Dems just 39.
The lacklustre Lib Dem showing – the party had 63 seats when the campaign began - meant Mr Brown could probably not rely on Nick Clegg’s party alone to form a stable administration.
But the premier insisted: “My duty in all of this is that there be a stable, strong and principled government and to play my part in making that possible.
“I think it is too early to say what the verdict of the people is but it is pretty clear that what the people will want at the end of this election is a government that is strong, stable and principled.”
He told reporters travelling to London with him from his count in Kirkcaldy: “I am the leader of the Labour Party but I’ve also got a duty to the country.”
He added: “The economy is incredibly important to our future and we must be sending out the right message to the world.”
He said there was also “a mood for political reform in this country” – a clear hint that moves towards proportional representation would be on the table in talks with the Lib Dems.
Officially, Mr Brown’s spokesman said it was “too early to say” what he would do.
But sources indicated he was ready to embark on days of talks aimed at piecing together a coalition.
Mr Cameron told supporters at his count in Witney: “I believe it’s already clear that the Labour government has lost its mandate to govern our country.
“I can see also that the Conservative Party is on target to win more seats at this election than we have done at any election in perhaps as long as 80 years.”
He added: “What’s clear from these results is that the country, our country, wants change. That change is going to require new leadership and we will stand ready to do all we can to help bring that leadership.”
Mr Cameron, foreshadowing extensive wrangling over who would form an administration, promised to put the national interest first in the “hours ahead, or perhaps longer than the hours ahead”.
A rollercoaster election night saw sharp swings to the Tories in some seats, but others on the party’s target list were denied them.
High profile casualties at the ballot box were former home secretary Jacqui Smith – who was an early casualty of the MPs expenses scandal – ex-Cabinet heavyweight Charles Clarke and a clutch of junior ministers.
The Lib Dems’ Lembit Opik also lost his seat, with a massive swing to the Conservatives.
Mr Clegg’s Sheffield Hallam count was delayed for several hours beyond its expected time.
Mr Brown and Mr Cameron both arrived at their respective party HQs just as dawn broke, braced for what could be days of wrangling over who should be in No 10, supervised by senior civil servants led by Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell.
Welsh Secretary Peter Hain said a desire for “fundamental, radical reform” meant Labour must try to form a government.
Speaking after he was re-elected to his seat in Neath with an increased majority, Mr Hain said: “I think there is an obligation on us, in the Labour Government led by the Prime Minister, to see whether we can form a progressive majority government.”
That, too, seemed a blatant approach to the Lib Dems to join with Labour to keep Mr Cameron out of Downing Street.
Labour election supremo Lord Mandelson made plain Labour would seek to stay in office.
The Business Secretary told BBC News: “The constitutional conventions are very clear.
“The rules are that if it’s a hung parliament, it’s not the party with the largest number of seats that has first go – it’s the sitting government.”
Pressed on whether Labour would seek to do a deal with the Lib Dems to try to hold on to power, he said: “I have no problem in principle in trying to supply this country with a strong and stable government.”
He added that it looked as if the country was heading for a “cliffhanger of a result”.
Home Secretary Alan Johnson, asked on BBC News if he had any problem in forming a pact with the Liberal Democrats, said: “I have no problem at all.”
Election night was also marred by chaos at polling stations across the country as hundreds of voters tried in vain to cast their ballots before the 10pm deadline.
The Electoral Commission promised a thorough review.
With every seat now possibly crucial to the arithmetic of a hung parliament, the Labour and Tory leaders were closeted with their inner circles watching results come in and discussing the way ahead.
Mr Brown went straight to his first-floor office suite at Labour HQ, accompanied by his wife Sarah and Lord Mandelson.
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis – a former Lib Dem councillor, who has been tipped to play a key part in coalition talks – denied negotiations had already begun.
He said: “Obviously we will now be in discussion with the other parties. The constitution is clear that Gordon Brown has the first opportunity to form that government.
“But we shouldn’t prejudge the final outcome.”
He said the talks would have to start soon but denied they were already under way.
Mr Cameron also retreated into talks with close colleagues and aides and was not expected to emerge from party HQ again before noon at the earliest.
Liberal Democrat frontbencher David Laws said he did not expect the party leaders to engage in "meaningful discussions'' until later this afternoon.
“I think that all of the party leaders are taking stock of this result,” he told GMTV.
“They all appreciate that it appears to be extremely close, that there isn’t a clear mandate for any one particular political party, and therefore I think all the party leaders appreciate that they are going to have to wait for all of the results to come through...
“It won’t be until the results are really clear that I think that the party leaders will sit down and figure out what the consequences are, and I wouldn’t expect there to be any meaningful discussions until later on this afternoon.”
Reflection on the results so far, Mr Laws added: “It has been a very mixed performance from us overnight. I mean there are some constituencies both against the Conservatives and Labour that we have won with some extraordinary swings, but there are also some very disappointing results.
“And I think actually it’s been a disappointing night for all the parties.”
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said the City knew there was a ``high probability'' of a hung parliament and was ``not unduly troubled by it''.
Asked by Sky News how much uncertainty the economy can stand if there is no clear winner of the General Election, Mr Cable said: “I think the markets had already factored in a fair degree of uncertainty in the outcome.
“I’ve been round meetings in the City with bond dealers and others over the last few months and they knew there was a high probability of getting a hung parliament outcome, they’re not unduly troubled by it.
“The main reason is that the main parties, certainly mine, are committed to support financial stability.”
He added: “I think anybody listening in to the debate in Britain has no reason whatever to fear that we’re going down the same route as Greece.”
