UK's new government: What happens next?

London, England (News Today) - Conservative Party leader David Cameron was appointed as British prime minister on Tuesday following the resignation of Gordon Brown, whose Labour Party was defeated in Thursday's general election.

Cameron travelled to Buckingham Palace where he was invited to form a government by Queen Elizabeth. So what will happen in the near future.

When does David Cameron take office?

He has immediate access to the prime minister's official Downing Street residence and now starts work on putting together his government. Brown left the building for the last time earlier on Tuesday.

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Can the Conservative party govern on its own?

The party won 306 seats in the election, which is 20 seats short of a parliamentary majority, so it needs the cooperation of other, smaller parties, especially on contentious legislation. Cameron said the center-right Conservatives and the centrist Liberal Democrats will seek a full coalition to form a "strong and stable" government. This will give it a notional majority of 86 if all Conservative and Lib Dem MPs vote with the government.

Who will be in the government?

Expectations are high that Nick Clegg, the leader of the smaller party, and other senior Liberal Democrats have been guaranteed seats in a Cabinet led by Cameron. George Osborne has been appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer and William Hague is the new foreign secretary, a Conservative Party source told CNN.

What is the agenda of the new government?

Cameron said reducing the huge budget deficit was his priority along with tackling the social problems that Britain faced.

Will a coalition impede the workings of government and will it make it more difficult to get laws passed?

There is no reason why a coalition government should necessarily work any differently to one formed by a single party. The party leaders will need to agree on the government's agenda, laid out in the Queen's Speech later this month.

How effective the government is in passing new laws depends on MPs in both parties of course. If Liberal Democrats are rebellious they will vote against the government, and if they bring it down, by forcing a no-confidence motion, they risk sparking another general election.

What are the potential stumbling blocks?

The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have very different policies on Europe, the UK's nuclear deterrent, immigration and, crucially, electoral reform.

Is a second general election likely?

Cameron has the right to call a new election at any time; he may do so if he feels in a strong enough position and if he feels the Lib Dems are not allowing him to pursue his agenda.

Who is the opposition?

The Labour party is now in opposition along with other smaller parties, and its deputy leader Harriet Harman will be interim leader as well as leader of the opposition.

Do officials in Downing Street remain in their jobs?

Members of the Civil Service are non-partisan, and work with a government formed by any party. The civil servants thus remain in their posts, and help with the transition of the new government.

How often does Britain have coalition governments?

They are very rare in British politics. The last time Britain had a hung parliament was in February 1974, when Edward Heath's Conservatives gained more votes but fewer seats in Parliament than Labour.

Unable to form a deal with the Liberal Party, the Conservatives stayed on in a minority government, but found themselves back at the polls by October.

Source : CNN

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