Cameron sweeps to unexpected triumph in British election

• Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband quits after his opposition party was beaten by the Conservatives

Reuters: Prime Minister David Cameron won an emphatic election victory in Britain, overturning predictions that the vote would be the closest in decades to sweep into office for another five years, with his Labour opponents in tatters.

The sterling currency and share prices soared on a result that reversed expectations of an inconclusive “hung parliament” with Cameron jockeying for power with Labour rival Ed Miliband. Instead, Cameron was due to meet Queen Elizabeth before noon to accept a swift mandate to form a government. 

But despite the unexpectedly decisive outcome, more uncertainty looms over whether Britain will stay in the European Union - and even hold together as a country.

Scottish nationalists swept aside Labour, meaning that Scotland, which voted just a year ago to stay in the United Kingdom, will send just three representatives of major British parties to parliament and be all but shut out of the cabinet. That could revive calls for it to leave Britain.

Cameron’s victory also means Britain will face a vote which he has promised on continued membership in the EU. He says he wants to stay in the bloc, but only if he secures changes to its rules in negotiations that have not yet begun.

Cameron returned, smiling, to the prime minister’s office in Downing Street early on Friday.

With a few dozen seats yet to be declared in the 650-seat house, the Conservatives were on course for an overall majority to govern alone for the first time since 1992. They could also ask a small party to join them in government if they fall a few seats short.

Miliband was widely expected to resign as party leader. The BBC reported he would do so soon.

That would mean Cameron no longer needs the Liberal Democrats, with which he has governed since 2010. The centre-left party was crushed, perhaps reduced to single digits after winning 57 seats five years ago.

Among the stunning results, Ed Balls, in line to be finance minister if Labour had won, lost his seat.

Cameron sounded a conciliatory note, especially towards Scotland, likely to be his first immediate headache.

“I want my party – and, I hope, a government I would like to lead – to reclaim a mantle we should never have lost, the mantle of one nation, one United Kingdom,” Cameron said.

Sterling gained more than 2 cents against the dollar GBP=D4 to rise above $ 1.55 for the first time since late February, and looked on track to enjoy its biggest one-day gain against the euro EURGBP= since January 2009.

The FTSE 100 stock index .FTSE was up 1.45% at 6985, approaching a record high set last month.

Miliband quits as Labour Party leader

Britain’s Ed Miliband quit as Labour leader on Friday after his opposition party was decisively beaten at the polls by Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives.

Labour, which had gone into the election expecting to challenge for power, was instead soundly beaten by the Conservative Party, which is now set to govern on its own with an outright parliamentary majority.

“Britain needs a strong Labour party. Britain needs a Labour party that can rebuild after this defeat so we can have a government that stands up for working people again,” Miliband told a party meeting.

“And now it’s time for someone else to take forward the leadership of this party, so I’m tendering my resignation, taking effect after this afternoon’s commemoration of VE day ...”

He said the party’s deputy leader Harriet Harman would take over until a new leader is elected.

Lankan-born Ranil Jayawardena elected to UK Parliament

A Sri Lankan-born Conservative Party candidate Ranil Jayawardena has been elected to the British Parliament at the 2015 general elections held on 7 May.

Jayawardena romped to victory in the North East Hampshire constituency, taking a near-30,000 vote majority over the Liberal Democrats. During Thursday’s vote Jayawardena took 35,573 votes in total, a staggering 29,916 votes ahead of Liberal Democrat candidate Graham Cockarill. 

Conservative candidate Jayawardena will take the reins from James Arbuthnot, who bowed out after nearly 30 years as MP for North East Hampshire.

Following the result, which came in around 4am, Jayawardena said: “This is an important night for Britain - and an even more important night for North East Hampshire.

“I’m delighted more than 65% of voters have put their trust in me today,” he said. “The people of North East Hampshire have given me the chance to serve.

“They have put their trust in me - and I shall repay that trust.”

Speaking to Get Hampshire moments after stepping off the podium, a clearly emotional Jayawardena said: “I am very pleased that the people of North East Hampshire have put their trust in me - it is my home.

“I grew up in Odiham, went to school there and now I live in Bramley. I’ve served my community as a local councillor and I am very pleased I will be able to represent them in Parliament.” 

In total, 54,000 votes were cast from an electorate of 74,025, a turnout of 72.94%. 202 ballots were either spoiled or rejected.