British PM election shocker. She seeks new support

"I don't think throwing us into a leadership battle at this moment in time, when we are about to launch into these hard negotiations, would be in the best interests of the country", Evans said. With Brexit talks set to begin in less than two weeks, and the political landscape its most divided in years, May will need all the support she can muster from her new partner. With the 10 DUP MP seats, the Conservatives will now have just enough votes to put them over the threshold.

Speaking after visiting Buckingham Palace on Friday, she said only her party had the "legitimacy" to govern, despite falling eight seats short of a majority, the BBC reported. "Theresa May has lost credibility and leverage in her party, her country and across Europe".

With the backing of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, May, though, will remain as Prime Minister.

"It doesn't look like a strong government, it doesn't look like a stable government, it doesn't look like a government that does have any program whatsoever", said Corbyn.

The new statement came after Downing Street earlier said the DUP had agreed to the principles of an outline agreement to support a Conservative government.

The result was a personal humiliation for Mrs May who called the election three years before she had to to bolster her position in Parliament as she embarked on the negotiations on Britain's withdrawal from the EU.

They were replaced by Gavin Barwell, a former housing minister who lost his seat in the election.

The deal is said to be one on a "confidence and supply" basis.

What the country needs more than ever is certainty, and having secured the largest number of votes and the greatest number of seats in the General Election, it is clear that only the Conservative & Unionist Party has the legitimacy and ability to provide that certainty by commanding a majority in the House of Commons.

The election ended in a hung parliament with the Labour Party making huge gains. "I do not want to be derogatory, but I think she is a lame duck now".

The DUP have not yet confirmed the news of the agreement and said talks were continuing on an agreement.

Among Tory MPs there was anger at the way a 20-point lead in the opinion polls when she called the election in had been squandered in the course of a campaign which was widely condemned as flat-footed and uninspiring.

And Ukip leader Paul Nuttall fell on his sword after just six months in the job, after slumping to a distant third place in Skegness & Boston on a woeful night for the Eurosceptic party, which shed swathes of voters to Labour and Conservatives. An agreement with the DUP would bring in an additional 10 seats, pushing the party over the 326-seat threshold.