Britain has a new Prime Minister and a new government as five days of political deadlock has come to an end. Prime Minister Gordon Brown resigned as Britain's top politician on Tuesday evening, making way for Conservative leader David Cameron.
Queen Elizabeth appointed Conservative leader David Cameron as the Prime Minister Tuesday evening.
He is to form a coalition government with Britain's third largest party the Liberal Democrats, ending 13 years of Labor leadership.
Speaking outside his new residence - number 10 Downing Street - Mr. Cameron said the road ahead won't be easy.
"This is going to be hard and difficult work," said David Cameron. "A coalition will throw up all sorts of challenges but I believe together we can provide that strong and stable government that our country needs."
He said he wanted a proper and full coalition to sort out Britain's financial deficit, its social problems, and problems in the political system.
Outgoing Prime Minister Gordon Brown handed his own resignation to the queen earlier in the evening.
Before leaving Downing Street with his wife and two children, Mr. Brown said he had loved his job.
"In the face of many challenges in a very few short years - challenges up to and including the global financial meltdown - I have always shrived to serve, to do my best in the interest in Britain, its values and its people," said Gordon Brown.
Mr. Brown's unexpected resignation brings to an end five days of political upheaval in Britain. A general election last week saw the Conservative party win the most votes but turned out no clear majority winner. Since then the Conservatives and Labor have jockeyed for the support of the third largest party in order to form a coalition strong enough to take power.
The party in the middle, the Liberal Democrats, sided with the Conservatives - ending any hope Labor might have had that it could hold on to power.
The exact details of the new government were not immediately clear.
Tony Travers from the London School of Economics says the events of the past week are very rare in Britain.
"Well this is a new departure," said Tony Travers. "We don't have coalition governments or anything like this normally. And this will require a great deal of work. But now they're in power they're going to be forced to make it work, at least for a while."
The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats are at odds on a number of major policies including on immigration, the European Union, and the economy.
43-year-old David Cameron will be Britain's youngest Prime Minister in 200 years.
