London, June 9 (RHC)-- In the UK, British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a major setback Thursday in an election that saw her Conservative Party lose its majority in Parliament less than two weeks before the country is scheduled to begin talks over exiting from the European Union. 

The British prime minister called the snap election three years early, expecting to win a large mandate to negotiate with European leaders over the terms of the so-called Brexit.  But Thursday’s election instead left the Conservatives without a clear majority and a hung Parliament. 

On Friday, Prime Minister May said from 10 Downing Street that her party would form a coalition government with the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland. 

The election saw Jeremy Corbyn and his Labour Party make big gains that shocked even veteran poll watchers.  Corbyn, who ran on a progressive platform of "For the many, not the few," said the results are evidence May should step down.