Cameron close to form govt; makes 'big, open' offer to Clegg

Prasun Sonwalkar
London, May 7 (PTI) Conservative leader David Cameron
Friday appeared to be moving ahead with efforts to stake claim
to form a coalition government in Britain by roping in king-
maker Liberal Democrats, even as defeated Labour Premier
Gordon Brown attempted to dig his heels for another term.
The Conservative party of 43-year-old Cameron won the
most seats in May 6 elections but did not take enough seats to
form a majority.
Out of 648 seats declared, Tories won 305 seats, while
Labour bagged 258 and Liberal Democrats secured 57 in the
650-member House of Commons. A total of 326 seats are required
for an absolute majority.
Encouraged by Lib Demns leader Nick Clegg's remark
that the party with the largest number of seats and votes
should assume power, Cameron made a "big, open and
comprehensive offer" to him to form a coalition to end the
uncertainty created by the hung Parliament, first since 1974.
Clegg earlier said that the party that had gained the
most seats and the most votes -- the Conservatives -- should
have "the first right to seek to govern."
The election witnessed history being created when two
Indian-origin women -- Priti Patel (Conservative) and Valerie
Vaz, sister of Labour MP Keith Vaz -- won the polls. They will
be the first Asian woman MPs in the House.
Observers said Cameron's offer to Clegg appeared to
tick all the boxes for the Liberal Democrats party, which was
expected to respond later Friday.
On contentious issues such as electoral reform,
Cameron offered to set up an all-party committee to go into
the question of changing the electoral system from
first-past-the-post system to proportional representation
based on the number of votes polled by parties.
The "outgoing" Labour government is leaving the "worst
inheritance" in (10) Downing Street for 60 years, Cameron
said, adding that starting to deal with the mounting budget
deficit this year was crucial.
The new government, he said, must take urgent
decisions, and urged the Liberal Democrats to work with him.
This could mean a minority Conservative government or a
"stronger, more collaborative" option, he said, adding the UK
needs strong and stable government and it needs it "quickly".
"There is a strong basis for a strong government"
between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, he said.
The Labour party lost its 2005 majority with 256 seats
while the Liberal Democrats returned less number of seats with
56 seats compared to 62 it won in 2005.
Brown, who appeared not to be conceding defeat, in a
statement outside 10, Downing Street, said the election
results had thrown an unprecedented situation of a hung
Parliament – a territory where Britain had not been since the
1974 elections. MORE PTI PS
MRD



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