UK leaders in vote push as coalition talks loom
Print Edition
Britain鈥檚 political leaders yesterday began a final push for votes ahead of tomorrow鈥檚 knife-edge election, even as they prepared for the likelihood of protracted coalition talks once polls close.
Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron, whose party is running neck and neck with the opposition Labour party in opinion polls, kicked off a 36-hour tour of the country.
He urged people to give his party a clear mandate to govern or face years of 鈥渂ack-room deals鈥 and 鈥渂ribes鈥 as Labour sought to form a government with the support of the smaller Scottish National Party.
But Cameron himself faces an uphill struggle to win enough seats in the House of Commons to govern alone and would most likely also need to turn to smaller parties to stay in power.
Both Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband 鈥 who is basing his final election push on a warning about funding for the state-run National Health Service 鈥 have insisted they are aiming for a house majority.
In reality, all sides are planning how they will seize the initiative on Friday morning after an uncertain result.
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, whose centrist party has been the junior partner in Cameron鈥檚 Tory-led coalition for the past five years, is keeping his options open.
Launching a tour in Land鈥檚 End in southwest England that will end in John O鈥橤roats in northern Scotland, Clegg said he would support the party with the 鈥済reatest mandate鈥.
鈥淚f the party with the greatest mandate from the British people, if they wanted to reach out to the Liberal Democrats, of course I would listen,鈥 he said.
Clegg鈥檚 party could lose half of its 57 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, however.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
