A new era of politics dawned today as Prime Minister David Cameron pieced together a power sharing government.
Arriving at Number 10 the Tory leader said he intended to form a ‘proper and full’ coalition government with the Liberal Democrats.
Nick Clegg will be Deputy Prime Minister and five Lib Dem ministers will get Cabinet seats – including Treasury spokesman Vince Cable, who will work alongside George Osborne who will be Chancellor.
The detailed terms of the agreement between the two parties were approved by a meeting of Lib Dem MPs and senior figures late last night.
It came after Gordon Brown announced he would be stepping down as Prime Minister in an emotional statement to reporters in Downing Street shortly after 7pm yesterday with his wife Sarah standing at his side.
At the end of the farewell speech the Browns were joined by their sons Frazer and John as they walked to the waiting cars which took them on the short journey to Buckingham Palace where Mr Brown formally offered his resignation to the Queen marking the end of 13 years of Labour rule.
It is understood Mr Brown also intends to resign as an MP.
About an hour later Mr Cameron arrived at the Palace with his pregnant wife Samantha to accept the invitation to form a new government and was then ferried to Downing Street. Before entering Number 10 Mr Cameron said: "Her Majesty the Queen has asked me to form a new government and I have accepted."
He went on to pay tribute to his predecessor Gordon Brown before adding: "Our country has a hung parliament where no party has an overall majority and we have some deep and pressing problems – a huge deficit, deep social problems, a political system in need of reform. For those reasons I aim to form a proper and full coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.
"I believe that is the right way to provide this country with the strong, the stable, the good and decent government that I think we need so badly. Nick Clegg and I are both political leaders that want to put aside party differences and work hard for the common good and for the national interest.
"I believe that is the best way to get the strong government that we need, decisive government that we need today."
One of the first people to congratulate the new prime minister was US President Barack Obama who telephoned 10 minutes after Mr Cameron entered Number 10.
Other names being reported to get Cabinet seats last night included Conservatives Liam Fox (defence), Andrew Lansley (health) and William Hague (foreign affairs).
Liberal Democrat cabinet seats will include David Laws (education) and Danny Alexander (Scotland).
Former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown said he thought support among the party’s MPs for the deal was ‘pretty unanimous’.
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
Yet another unelected Prime Minister.
As blessed Margaret said
"Just rejoice at that news"
Let that Tax/VAT hikes begin.
Oh and lets not forget taking Working tax credits and nursery places off the average familes.
it dunt matter whos in power the job situation is still goin 2 be the same no jobs and more immergrants
It tells you lot about society,when you glance back at who administrated our lives for years with Brown,Blair Prescott,Blears,Mandleson A.Campbell,Jowell Darling,Balls (2)Straw,Smith etc and if think that spells quality,intelligence,statesmen types,then you really need to take a reality check,when compared with the business like,quality,high intelligence people now running our lives.
The dross,bully`s,devious,and unfit for purpose individuals are finished,and if you enjoy having the types Labour threw up as Your Rulers then you have my sympathy.
Quality is what we need not ignorant,ruffians somewhat akin to hoodies,
Chris Thomas for your sake I hope the education system improves. By the way grants for immers? Whats an immer? Can I qualify for a grant perhaps?
"It tells you lot about society,when you glance back at who administrated our lives for years with Brown,Blair Prescott,Blears,Mandleson A.Campbell,Jowell Darling,Balls (2)Straw,Smith etc and if think that spells quality,intelligence,statesmen types,then you really need to take a reality check,when compared with the business like,quality,high intelligence people now running our lives. The dross,bully`s,devious,and unfit for purpose individuals are finished,and if you enjoy having the types Labour threw up as Your Rulers then you have my sympathy. Quality is what we need not ignorant,ruffians somewhat akin to hoodies," - J.Hall, Tameside
Looking at your post, quality in edukashun (sic) should be the new government's priority.
So, that's three Scottish PMs in a row - rejoice, indeed!
Another unelected leader who couldn't even get in with a majority even on the back of the most tory fuelled media campaign ever, only in number 10 due to Clegg. (who should have been sacked from his post as leader of the lib-dems for the most underachieving result ever). Both have prostituted their own moral ground to scrabble into power. How do all you Lib Dems feel now, a vote for Lib Dem = Tory !! The death nell of a party.
Well look forward to at least 4 years of inflation and a rise in interest rates, thankfully I have paid off my mortgage, this is about to become the worst case scenario for millions of mortgage paying homeowners. the rise of the moneymen begins again.......
What goes around comes around - tenfold. Voters won't forget being sold down the swanney.
time for Cameron and Clegg to lead the country out of the mess of excess spending and wasting of public money left by labour and their 13 years of failure. Is this the beginning of a new era in British politics? lets hope so for all our sakes!
god help us (the working class that is!!)
I'm not bitter and never will be and I am happy to wish the conservatives luck even though I am staying Labour.
Huckleberry: "Yet another unelected Prime Minister."
Normally I'd point out that we don't have a presidential system, but on this occasion, it doesn't really make any difference.
We're talking about the man who, at the time of the election, was the leader of the party which got both the most votes and the most seats. What more would he have to do for you to class him as elected?
"Yet another unelected Prime Minister"
what?!?!?! Are you on the same planet as the rest of us. He just won the election granted he didn't get a majority but he still got the most votes by a long way.
A touch of bitterness in your comment I suspect.
"Let that Tax/VAT hikes begin.
Oh and lets not forget taking Working tax credits and nursery places off the average familes. "
Blinkered and mis-informaed. your man Gordon increased Tax enormously and across the board during his tenure but it still wasn't enough so we now have an enormous national debt aswell. The new goverment will have to it sort out. As for Tax Credits, yes the Tory's have said they will cut them, but only for people who earn enough not to need them. We will loose ours and I think that's fair.
I'm sorry but you need to look at the bigger picture and try and understand the financial tatters that NuLabour have left this country in. Then if you can you need understand that we are all in this together and we will all have to do our bit.
Black Flag,
If the first past the posted went for the leadrer - David Davies beat Cameron in the first ballot. He is now leader of two parties with is his deputy: Tzar Nick second in comand - Did anyone vote for that?
semi literate simian wrote:
"granted he didn't get a majority"
Has Mr Cameron come out and said that he won the election? Perhaps: Default Prime Minister is more apt.
Please do not read anything into my comment: "Yet another unelected Prime Minister. "
I care not a jot who is in power - I retired in 1992 and if i get to the end of the year with a quid in my pocket and a roof over my head - i am happy.
Huckleberry: "If the first past the posted went for the leadrer - David Davies beat Cameron in the first ballot."
The internal workings of the Conservative Party leadership elections are of no relevance whatsoever. He was the leader of the party at the time of the election and his party got most votes and most seats.
In any case, I believe the way that leadership election worked was that the Tory MPs voted in rounds (an AV style process) to whittle it down to two candidates, with the final choice between those two candidates being made by the membership. So you are right that in the first ballot of MPs, Davis had 31.3% and Cameron had 28.2%, but then in the second ballot, after Ken Clarke was eliminated, Cameron led 45.5% to 28.8% and most significantly, when the party membership had a straight choice between Davis and Cameron, Cameron got 67.6% of the vote.
"He is now leader of two parties..."
No he isn't.
"...with is his deputy: Tzar Nick second in comand - Did anyone vote for that?"
It's what I wanted. Of all the reasonably possible options, a Lib-Con coalition would have been my favoured result.
Could any of you rabid socialist actually tell me what you find offensive or concerning about what Cameron is aiming to do? Is it the threat to stop the bone idle claiming state handouts thats worrying you?
Rejoice, I say rejoice. Let's hope David is as effective as The Blessed Margaret in keeping the idiot red flag brigade at bay. Well done David.