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SUMMARY: Britons will vote on Thursday in the country's first general election in five years. But opinion polls suggest neither of the two largest parties -- Conservative and Labour -- will win a majority of seats. And for either side, forming a coalition government may not be so simple. Hari Sreenivasan reports on the political divide in the United Kingdom.
JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour): Across the pond in the United Kingdom, Election Day is just hours away.
Hari Sreenivasan reports on a race that’s too close to call and one that could determine the U.K.’s future as a member of the European Union.
HARI SREENIVASAN (NewsHour): It’s the coveted front door British political leaders are vying for, 10 Downing Street, home of the prime minister.
Whether conservative David Cameron will go on living there after tomorrow’s election, and which party will control the House of Commons, is anyone’s guess. But in the final flurry of campaigning on this election eve, it was clear there’s deep discontent and deep division among voters.
MAN: The Conservatives are making a reasonable job of sorting out the mess that Labor got us in, but they could do a bit more to help the ordinary working people.
MAN: I’m afraid, like most people, I have decided Westminster needs a complete cleanup. It’s not working for the people. It’s working for the bankers, the very rich.
HARI SREENIVASAN: The short campaign season kicked off in April, with all 650 seats in the Commons up for grabs, and predictions of a deadlock, or hung Parliament, come Friday.
In order to govern by itself, a party needs an outright majority of 326 seats. But opinion polls suggest neither of the two largest parties, Conservative and Labor, will get there on their own. David Cameron’s Tories have blamed Britain’s troubles on the Labor government that preceded them.
"Why the UK elections matter to the United States" PBS NewsHour 5/6/2015
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SUMMARY: Why are Britain’s voters and political parties so divided ahead of Thursday’s election? And what’s at stake for that country and for the U.S.? Hari Sreenivasan talks to Dan Balz of The Washington Post, reporting from London.
"Cameron’s party wins majority in UK elections, defying polls" PBS NewsHour 5/8/2015
JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour): The United Kingdom woke up on this day after national elections to find the same political party in charge, but with a message from voters that will take some sorting out.
In the end, it was a trouncing by the Tories, as Prime Minister David Cameron and his Conservative Party won an outright majority in Parliament. He will return to Number 10 Downing Street for another five-year term after a bruising campaign.
DAVID CAMERON, Prime Minister, United Kingdom: We must ensure that we bring our country together. As I said in the small hours of this morning, we will govern as a party of one nation, one United Kingdom.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Pre-election public polls had forecast a tight race with the Labor Party. Instead, Labor, led by Ed Miliband, was blown out. And Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats took crushing losses, dropping 49 seats. Both party chiefs resigned their leadership posts this morning.
So, in this new Parliament, of the 650 seats, Conservatives will hold 331, Labor 232 seats, the Scottish National Party will have 56, and the Liberal Democrats just eight. Besides the Conservatives, the other big winner was the Scottish National Party. It swept virtually every race in Scotland, all but ending Labor’s longtime dominance there.
"What battles lie ahead for Cameron’s second turn as prime minister?" PBS NewsHour 5/8/2015
Excerpt
SUMMARY: David Cameron may have held on to power after British elections, but he'll face a number of challenges, including the rising power of the Scottish National Party and a referendum on whether the UK should stay in the European Union. Judy Woodruff talks to Robin Niblett of Chatham House about the election results and how the new lineup affects relations with the U.S.
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