After a a 6 day wait, the UK now has a new Prime Minister, the Conservative leader David Cameron is now officially the new prime minister after the sudden, although not wholly unexpected resignation of Gordon Brown.
Cameron, whose 43 and therefore the youngest PM the UK have had for something like 200 years is now in Downing Street and waiting for a call from President Obama.
A short time earlier, Labour's Gordon Brown walked out on to Downing Street, and made a rather emotional resignation speech, after three years in the top job. He played tributes to his staff, his party friends and to his wife, Sarah. He then posed for some photos with his children, for the very first and very last time on Downing Street.
Tradition and constitution dictated the next series of events, with Mr Brown going to Buckingham Palace, to officially tending his resignation to HM The Queen, and advising her to send for David Cameron, to start a new government,
Gordon Brown, also stepped down with immediate effect as the Leader of the Labour party, to be replaced by deputy Harriet Harman until a successor is elected. He will remain as a Labour MP in Parliament, at least for the foreseeable future.
After Brown's visit to Buckingham Palace, Cameron, was driven there, and formally spoke to the Queen for a little over 20 minutes and formally agreeing to make the next government, a coalition between the Conservative party and the Liberal Democrats.
The Conservative party won the most seats in the UK general election last week, but not by enough to form an overall majority, which has lead the country in to much speculation, discussion and uncertainty for the last few days.
In a speech at Downing Street, Mr Cameron said he and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg would "put aside party differences and work hard for the common good and the national interest". He paid tribute to outgoing PM Gordon Brown for his long years of public service and said he would tackle Britain's "pressing problems" - the deficit, social problems and reforming the political system.
Mr Cameron stressed there would be "difficult decisions" but said he wanted to take people through them to reach "better times ahead".
To many, it's believed we are seeing a very uneasy and temporary solution to the current hung parliament situation. Perhaps a short lived government, before another general election is called when the coalition between the two different parties crumbles. The Conservative party has an appealing record on gay rights and equality, prompting fears of a return to the days of section 28, of discrimination and the abolition of the equality bill. The law that prevents people being discriminated against in any way because of their sexuality. This is a bad day for equality and British politics in general, one senior member broadcaster told me 'off the record' and would not be surprised if there were riots and overturned cars in the streets before the end of the year.
Jason Shaw
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