Theresa May has said sorry to the Tory MPs and ministers who lost their seats as a result of her decision to call a snap general election which cost the Conservatives their majority.
A disastrous set of election results have left Mrs May clinging onto power with the Prime Minister forced to pursue a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to stay in Downing Street.
She had been hoping to boost her mandate for Brexit negotiations but the Tories actually lost seats and fell below the 326 needed to form a majority government.
She has set out her intention to form a minority government which will be entirely reliant on the DUP’s 10 MPs to pass its legislation in parliament.
Mrs May’s decision to remain in post despite her failure to deliver the resounding Tory victory she had been aiming for has prompted widespread condemnation, with opposition leaders including Jeremy Corbyn calling on her to resign.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has been left isolated by her Cabinet with Tory big beasts like Boris Johnson and Amber Rudd conspicuous in their absence from the airwaves in the aftermath of the results.
However, the Prime Minister has moved to reappoint Mr Johnson as Foreign Secretary, Ms Rudd as Home Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon as Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond as Chancellor and David Davis as Brexit Secretary.
Speaking in Downing Street after outlining her intentions form a minority administration to the Queen at Buckingham Palace Mrs May said: “What the country needs more than ever is certainty and having secured the largest number of votes and the greatest number of seats in the General Election it is clear that only the Conservative and Unionist Party has the legitimacy and ability to provide that certainty by commanding a majority in the House of Commons.”
Mrs May said her minority administration will “guide the country through the crucial Brexit talks that begin in just 10 days” as she insisted the Tories will be able to work together with the DUP in the “interests of the whole UK” as she pledged to “get to work”.
Meanwhile, Mrs May said sorry to her colleagues who lost their jobs.
She said in an interview on Friday afternoon: “I had wanted to achieve a larger majority but that was not the result that we secured and I am sorry for all those candidates and hard working party workers who weren’t successful but also particularly sorry for those colleagues who were MPs and ministers who had contributed so much to our country and who lost their seats and didn’t deserve to lose their seats.
“As I reflect on the results I will reflect on what we need to do in the future to take the party forward.”
Arlene Foster, the leader of the DUP, suggested her party’s backing for the Tories was far from a done deal as she only said she would talk to Mrs May to try and find a way forward.
She said: “The Prime Minister has spoke with me this morning and we will enter discussions with the Conservatives to explore how it may be possible to bring stability to our nation at this time of great challenge.”
If an informal deal is done, the Parliamentary arithmetic of the situation will mean Mrs May will face an almighty struggle to pursue the policies set out in the Conservative manifesto.
The Tories won 318 seats, down 12, and will have to rely on the DUP to get things done. If just a handful of Conservative MPs desert the party on key votes Mrs May’s plans would be left in tatters.
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, has urged Mrs May to resign as he said she should “go and make way for a government that is truly representative of this country”.
Meanwhile, even senior Tory figures have suggested she should consider her position.
Former chancellor George Osborne, who was sacked from the Cabinet by Mrs May in one of her first acts as PM and now editor of the Evening Standard, told ITV that he doubts whether the premier can “survive in the long term as Conservative party leader”.
Labour defied expectations on election night, winning 262 seats, an increase of 30.
No single party had enough seats for an overall majority.
On a night of high drama when most pundits predicted an overwhelming Tory victory Mrs May failed to strengthen her hand ahead of Brexit negotiations as she had hoped.
Brexit talks are due to begin in just 10 days’ time and a hung parliament is likely to throw a major spanner in the works.
Donald Tusk, the President of the EU Council, said in a letter to Mrs May that there is now “no time to lose” on Brexit negotiations after other senior figures suggested talks could be delayed.
Mrs May’s decision to call an early election cost a handful of her ministers their seats including Ben Gummer, the architect of the Tory manifesto, and Jane Ellison, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd clung onto her Hastings and Rye seat after fierce speculation that she could be ousted.
While the Tories struggled Labour performed much better than expected with Mr Corbyn announcing on Friday morning that he was ready to put forward a programme for government.
Speaking at Labour HQ he said: “I think it’s pretty clear who won this election.
“We are ready to do everything we can to put our programme into operation. There isn’t a parliamentary majority for anybody at the present time, the party that has lost in this election is the Conservative Party, the arguments the Conservative Party put forward in this election have lost.
“I think we need a change.”
He added: “We are ready to serve this country.”
The Conservative nightmare was perhaps only matched by the SNP with the party losing 21 seats including its two Westminster big beasts Angus Robertson and Alex Salmond, finishing with 35.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats managed to make four gains, securing 12 seats in all.
However, Nick Clegg lost his Sheffield Hallam seat as Vince Cable secured a return to Parliament after taking back his old Twickenham seat.
Tim Farron, the Lib Dem leader, said that if Mrs May had an “ounce of self-respect” she would resign.
Paul Nuttall, who failed in his bid to be elected MP for Boston and Skegness, resigned as Ukip leader on Friday morning.
He said he believed he had laid the foundations for future Ukip success but added: “It will be for someone else to build on those. It has been an honour to lead the party I love.”
(Telegraph UK)
