Cameron, Conservatives win big in surprising U.K. elections

Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives are set to govern Britain for another five years after an unexpectedly strong showing, but they may have to grapple with renewed calls for Scottish independence after nationalists there surged. Meantime, Ed Miliband, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, all but conceded defeat on Friday morning, saying he was “deeply sorry” for a “very disappointing and difficult night." With nearly three-quarters of Parliament seats counted, Conservatives had won 203 of 650 in the House of Commons, with an exit poll suggesting they were on track to win 316 seats, just shy of a majority but with ample options to form a government.

This is clearly a very strong night for the Conservative party.

Prime Minister David Cameron

In Scotland, once a Labour stronghold, nationalists appeared to have won almost every seat, a result likely to stoke momentum for Scottish independence by underscoring the political chasm that divides voters north of the border and the rest of the United Kingdom.

We’re seeing an electoral tsunami on a gigantic scale. The [Scotish National Party is] going to be impossible to ignore and very difficult to stop.

Alex Salmond, former SNP leader

World UK elections