Gordon Brown resigns as UK Prime Minister

(11 May 2010)
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has resigned with a brief, emotional statement, ending 13 years of Labour government and paving the way for the Conservative party under David Cameron to take office.
Yards away, Brown's two chief rivals were trying to seal a coalition deal after the country's inconclusive election.
Teams from the two parties met for several hours Tuesday, but emerged without confirming whether a deal had been struck. Conservative deputy chief William Hague said only that the atmosphere had been "positive."
Brown's departure follows three successive election victories for his centre-left Labour Party, all of which were won by his predecessor Tony Blair, who ousted the Conservatives in 1997.
"I have informed the queen's private secretary that it is my intention to tender my resignation to the queen," said
a clearly emotional Brown. He said he would ask the monarch to invite Cameron to form a government and wished the new leader well.
After his brief statement, Brown walked hand-in-hand with his wife Sarah and young sons John and Fraser down Downing Street, where a car waited to take him to the palace.
Brown's resignation ends five days of uncertainty after last week's general election left the country with no clear winner. Cameron's Conservatives won the most seats but fell short of a majority, forcing them to bid against the Labour Party for the loyalty of the Liberal Democrats.
The Liberal Democrats held talks with both parties, and are more ideologically in tune with Labour, but the talks with Labour faltered. Many Labour officials felt it was time to go into the opposition after coming a distant second to the Conservatives in the vote.

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