Trump offers ‘support’ to May after polls setback

Washington: US President Donald Trump has told British Prime Minister Theresa May that he looks forward to working with her in strengthening the bilateral ties after she decided to form a minority government following snap polls.

“President Trump emphasised his commitment to the United States-United Kingdom special relationship and underscored that he looks forward to working with the Prime Minister on shared goals and interests in the years to come,” the White House said in a statement on the telephonic conversation between the two leaders.

Trump offered his warm support to May over the just- concluded parliamentary election, it said.

May’s gamble of calling snap polls backfired after the British electorate delivered a hung Parliament, forcing her to seek the support of a small Northern Irish party for staying in power, as the country braces for hard Brexit talks.

With results declared for all of the 650 seats of British Parliament, the Conservatives won 318 while the opposition Labour secured 262, leaving neither party anywhere close to the 326 seats required for an overall majority.

May, jolted by the electoral setback, however, remained defiant to calls for her resignation and vowed to form a minority government with the informal backing of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). (PTI)