Tories and Liberal Democrats in Deal Talks

Talks between senior Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in Great Britain continued late into Friday as the parties tried to broker a deal to form the next government. A day after the polls closed, it remains unclear who will lead the country after the general election delivered a hung Parliament.

David Cameron approached the Lib Dems after the Tories won the most seats but finished 20 short of a majority.

Labour leader Gordon Brown also says he is prepared to talk to the Lib Dems.

Leaving the Cabinet Office late on Friday, after hour-long talks with Lib Dem counterparts, the Conservatives' William Hague said: "We've had an initial meeting. That's all there is to say at the moment."

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said nothing to the press when he left his party's central London Head Quarter later.

Talks are expected to continue on May 8, when Lib Dem MPs are also expected to meet to discuss Cameron's proposals.

As the results confirmed the general election was the first to deliver a hung Parliament since 1974, Cameron made a statement announcing he wanted to make a "big, open and comprehensive offer" to the Lib Dems. Cameron later had a "very constructive" phone conversation with Clegg.

Results from the 649 constituencies contested on 6 May showed the Tories had secured 306 seats. It leaves the party just short of the 326 needed for an outright majority, with the Thirsk and Malton seat - where the election was postponed after the death of a candidate - still to vote.

Labour finished with 258 MPs, down 91, the Lib Dems 57, down five, and other parties 28. The Conservatives got 36.1% of votes (up 3.8%), Labour 29.1% (down 6.2%) and the Lib Dems 23% (up 1%).

Past practice under Britain's unwritten constitution involves the sitting prime minister in a hung Parliament having the right to make the first attempt at forming a ruling coalition.

But Cameron said Brown had "lost his mandate to govern" after the Conservatives won the most votes and the most seats.
And Clegg said he believed the result gave the Tories the right to seek to govern first.