But early on Friday, Mrs. May hinted that her Conservative Party would try to form a government<br />even if it did not have a majority, arguing that Britain needed “a period of stability.”<br />If the Conservative Party “has won the most seats and probably the most votes, then it will be incumbent on us,” she said.<br />One Conservative lawmaker, Anna Soubry, said on national television<br />that it had been a “dreadful campaign” and would force the prime minister to “consider her position.”<br />The opposition Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, was projected to be on track for 262 seats, up 30 from 2015,<br />significantly elevating Mr. Corbyn’s standing after predictions that his party would be further weakened.<br />“Even if May manages to cling on to a majority, we see a real risk<br />that her leadership is challenged, especially following an unsuccessful election campaign that has managed to both weaken her personal credibility and make far-left Labour leader Corbyn relevant again,” he said as the votes were being counted.<br />Mrs. May, the Conservative leader, called the snap election three years early, expecting to cruise to a smashing victory<br />that would win her a mandate to see Britain through the long and difficult negotiations with European leaders over the terms of leaving the union.<br />The former chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, said<br />that for Mrs. May losing a majority would be “completely catastrophic” for her and the Conservative Party.
