Theresa May to seek permission to form government

LONDON, June 9 (Xinhua) — Theresa May will visit Buckingham Palace at 12:30 BST (1330 GMT) Friday to seek permission to form a new British government, despite losing her majority in the House of Commons, BBC reported.

The Conservative Party leader, is attempting to stay in office on the understanding that the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) will support her minority administration.

With one seat left to declare, the Tories are eight seats short of the 326-seat threshhold for a majority.

It is thought that May will seek some kind of informal arrangement with the DUP that could see it “lend” its support to the Tories on a vote-by-vote basis, known as “confidence and supply.”

Combined, the Tories and the DUP — which won 10 seats — would have 329 MPs in the Commons.

Following a disappointing night for the Conservatives, May ended up with 12 fewer seats than that predicted when she called the election and will need the support of other parties to govern.

May has signalled her intention to carry on in Downing Street, saying the country needs “stability” with the start of Brexit negotiations 10 days away.

The DUP is currently meeting to discuss what it has called a “messy” situation, but sources have said talk of an agreement is “premature.”

Labour has said it is also ready to form a minority government of its own. But even if it joined together in a so-called progressive alliance with the Scottish National Party (SNP), Lib Dems, Green Party and Plaid Cymru, it would only reach 313 seats — short of the 326 figure.