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A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 10 June 2017
Wounded May soldiers on as election shock complicates Brexit

By JILL LAWLESS she made in support of gay
DANICA KIRKA marriage, drawing on her
Associated Press own experiences as a les-
LONDON (AP) — In a politi- bian Christian.
cal drama both brutal and May’s snap election call
surreal, British Prime Minister was the second time that
Theresa May tried Friday a Conservative gamble on
to carry on with the busi- the issue of Britain’s rela-
ness of governing as usu- tions with Europe backfired.
al, while her Conservative Her predecessor, David
Party reeled from losing its Cameron, first asked Brit-
parliamentary majority and ish voters to decide in 2016
her opponents demanded whether to leave the EU.
she resign. An election that When voters stunned him
May called to strengthen and Europe by voting to
her hand as Britain leaves leave, he resigned, leaving
the European Union ended May to deal with the mess.
with her political authority The latest election shock
obliterated, her days in of- is “yet another own goal”
fice likely numbered and that will make “already
the path to Brexit more complex negotiations even
muddied than ever. more complicated,” said
Meanwhile the supposed the European Parliament’s
loser, Labour Party leader British Prime Minister Theresa May addresses the press in Downing Street, London, Friday, June 9, top Brexit official, Guy Ver-
Jeremy Corbyn, savored a 2017 following an audience with Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace where she hofstadt.
surprisingly strong result and asked to form a government. May’s gamble in calling an early election backfired spectacularly, Tim Bale, professor of poli-
as her Conservative Party lost its majority in Parliament.
basked in the adulation (AP Photo/Matt Dunham tics at Queen Mary Univer-
of an energized, youthful sity of London, said it’s not
base. House of Commons seats ing St., May scarcely ac- nority government, in which even clear whether May
British newspapers summed after Thursday’s vote, May’s knowledged the election’s the governing party can- will now lead those nego-
it up in a word: Mayhem. bruised Conservatives had disastrous outcome, prom- not get measures though tiations.
The Conservatives built their 318 — short of the 326 they ising to form “a govern- Parliament without outside “She might start off doing
election campaign around needed for an outright ma- ment that can provide cer- support. May said she was that but the Conservatives
May’s ostensible strengths jority and well down from tainty.” in talks with the Democratic might well replace her mid-
as a “strong and stable” the 330 seats they had be- She said the government Unionists — a socially con- stream,” he said. “That’s
leader, and the outcome fore May’s roll of the elec- would start Brexit negotia- servative, pro-British Protes- going to make it difficult for
is a personal slap in the toral dice. tions with the EU as sched- tant party in Northern Ire- the EU 27 because they’re
face. But May soldiered on Labour had 262, up from uled in 10 days’ time. land — on an agreement going to want to know who
Friday, re-appointing se- 229, and the Scottish Na- “This government will guide to “work together in the in- they’re talking to and what
nior ministers to her Cabi- tional Party 35, a loss of the country through the terests of the whole United their policy is.”
net and holding talks with about 20 seats that com- crucial Brexit talks ... and Kingdom.” In the Conservative Party,
a small Northern Irish party plicates the party’s plans to deliver on the will of the Cutting a deal with the DUP, recriminations were imme-
about shoring up her minor- push for independence. British people by taking the which won 10 seats, may diate and stinging. Many
ity government. The final result was an- United Kingdom out of the not be straightforward. The analysts said it was unlikely
“I obviously wanted a dif- nounced almost 24 hours European Union,” she said party’s opposition to abor- May could remain leader
ferent result last night,” a after polls closed. After after visiting Buckingham tion and same-sex mar- for long now that her au-
grim-faced May acknowl- three recounts, Labour Palace to inform Queen riage places it at odds with thority has been eroded.
edged, promising she took the wealthy London Elizabeth II that she would modernizing Conserva- Steven Fielding, a professor
would “reflect on what constituency of Kensington try to form a new govern- tives. Scottish Conservative of politics at the University of
happened.” from the Conservatives by ment. leader Ruth Davidson — a Nottingham, called her “a
With results in from all 650 just 20 votes. This is the first time since the rising star in the party — zombie prime minister.”q
Speaking outside 10 Down- 1990s that Britain has a mi- tweeted a link to a speech
Democratic Unionists in Northern Ireland become election key

By GREGORY KATZ pro-British and largely Prot- gives me the confidence to the European Union. be contact made over
Associated Press estant party finds itself in believe that we will be able The DUP is opposed to the weekend but I think it
LONDON (AP) — British the unlikely position of pos- to work together in the in- abortion rights and same- is too soon to talk about
Prime Minister Theresa May sible kingmaker. terests of the whole United sex marriage. what we’re going to do,”
is looking to Northern Ire- With 649 of 650 seats in the Kingdom,” May said. Party leader Foster is ex- she said. The Conserva-
land for support in forming House of Commons de- DUP leader Arlene Foster pected to seek conces- tive Party has depended
a new minority government clared, the Conservatives confirmed that she had sions in a new government. on Irish politicians before:
now that her Conservative had 318 — short of the 326 spoken to May and would She has not yet made a Prime Minister John Major
Party has lost its majority in they needed for an out- be talking with the Conser- public commitment to relied on support from the
Parliament. right majority. The DUP may vatives about “how it may joining a formal coalition Ulster Unionist Party to shore
The Democratic Unionist provide the missing votes. it be possible to bring stabil- which could see DUP MPs up his shaky government in
Party, which won 10 seats in May said Friday she looks ity to our nation at this time having roles in the govern- the mid-1990s.
Thursday’s voting, is enter- forward to working with of great challenge.” ment. An informal alliance Northern Ireland’s people
ing talks with the Conserva- “our friends and allies” in The DUP favors Brexit but is also possible. voted in favor of remaining
tives to discuss how to work the DUP. wants to preserve its open Foster said Friday it would inside the European Union
together in a new govern- “Our two parties have en- border with the Republic be “difficult” for May to in last year’s referendum,
ment. joyed a strong relationship of Ireland, an EU member continue in her role. “I cer- going against the national
The socially conservative, over many years, and this even after Britain leaves tainly think that there will trend in favor of Brexit.q