A new phase in Britain’s political history began Tuesday, as Conservative leader David Cameron became prime minister after Gordon Brown's resignation.
Brown, leader of the Labour Party, tendered his resignation to the queen and thanked his party for all it has done. Queen Elizabeth then invited Cameron to form a government.
The new prime minister then travelled to his new home, Ten Downing. Flanked by his pregnant wife Samantha, he first thanked Brown.
“Compared with a decade ago,” Cameron began, “this country is more open at home and more compassionate abroad, and that is something we should all be grateful for, and on behalf of the whole country, I would like to pay tribute to the outgoing prime minister for his long record of dedicated public service.”
This current coalition is going to be an oil and water mixture of conservative and liberal extremes. Even though the conservative Tories had great gains in the election, this is still a weak situation for them. This will cause things to go rather slowly, as the last week has shown. The last time the Conservatives took over in the UK was 1979, when Margaret Thatcher became PM, and the next year Ronald Reagan was elected as President here in the US.
I must say that I admire the way the men and women of Britain handled themselves in this election. I watched more than I usually do another country's election, and I wished for some of the qualities I saw. Most particularly, their level of class and mutual respect. I know that the British are known for this, but it is another thing to see it in action. I was impressed with how substantive their debates were, and how clear the argumentation was. They had clear views and clear ways of defending their views rationally, without resorting to personal attack and character assassination. I wish them all the best, and may God bless all of the United Kingdom.
I love watching bits and pieces of Parliament interactions.
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