British Election: David Cameron on Cusp of Second Term as U.K.'s PM

The Conservative Party surged to a surprisingly commanding lead in Britain's parliamentary election, with early returns Friday backing an exit poll's prediction that Prime Minister David Cameron would remain in his office at 10 Downing Street.

The opposition Labour Party took a beating, mostly from energized Scottish nationalists who pulled off a landslide in Scotland.

With Cameron's Conservatives on the cusp of winning a majority in the 650-seat House of Commons, the election result looked to be far better than opinion pollsters, or even his own party, had foreseen. The prime minister was beaming early Friday as he as announced the winner of his Witney constituency in southern England.



"This is clearly a very strong night for the Conservative Party," he said, stopping just short of declaring victory.

"I want my party, and I hope a government that I would like to lead, to reclaim a mantle that we should never have lost — the mantle of one nation, one United Kingdom," Cameron said, vowing to counter the rise of Scottish nationalism with more powers for Scotland and Wales.

The opposition Labour Party, led by Ed Miliband, was routed in Scotland by the Scottish National Party, which took almost all of the 59 seats in Scotland.

"This has clearly been a very disappointing and difficult night for the Labour Party," Miliband said. "In Scotland we have seen a surge of nationalism overcome our party."


Cameron's coalition partner, the Liberal Democrat party, faced an electoral disaster, predicted to lose most of its seats as punishment for supporting a Conservative agenda since 2010.

"It is now painfully clear that this has been a cruel and punishing night for the Liberal Democrats," said leader Nick Clegg, who held onto his own seat. He said he would discuss his future with colleagues later Friday.

The exit poll projected that the Conservatives would get 316 seats — up from 302 and far more than had been predicted — and Labour 239, down from 256. It said the Liberal Democrats would shrink from 56 seats to 10, while the Scottish nationalists would grow from six to 58. The anti-immigration, anti-Europe UK Independence Party was projected to win two seats.