British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster today to negotiate a deal to form a Conservatives-led minority government.
May has promised to start the formal Brexit talks next week but opponents of a sharp break with the European Union took her woes as a chance to push back against her strategy.
With opinion polls showing the Conservatives had a commanding lead over the opposition Labour Party, May called an early election in hopes of increasing her majority in Parliament and strengthening her position in Brexit negotiations.
London has said it wants the Barnier-Davis talks to start as scheduled next Monday, but since Thursday's election it has not formally committed to the date.
Addressing a meeting of backbenchers, the PM reportedly said she would serve as "long as you want me to do".
Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein said the prospect of a British agreement with the DUP was causing anxiety and fear.
It came as the European Commission's chief negotiator warned that Britain risks crashing out of the EU with no deal if it wastes any more of the time available for Brexit negotiations.
During the campaign, May cast herself as the only leader competent enough to navigate the tortuous Brexit negotiations that will shape the future of the United Kingdom and its $US2.5 trillion ($A3.3 trillion) economy.
May apologised to Conservative MPs on Monday, accepting personal responsibility for failing to win an outright victory and sacrificing the parliamentary majority she inherited from her predecessor David Cameron when she came to power a year ago following the UK's vote to exit the European Union (EU).
May plans a clean break from the EU, involving withdrawal from Europe's single market and customs union and limits on immigration from the EU.
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Brexit Secretary David Davis said that some policies planned before the election would be pruned back.
"It is our job to get on with running the country".
Under the confidence and supply arrangement being mooted by the Tories and the DUP, the Northern Irish party's 10 MPs would lend its support to the Government for key votes - such as passing the Budget and the Queen's Speech.
Michael Gove, a former leadership rival, who was appointed environment secretary after losing his post as justice secretary in May's cabinet reshuffle past year, said the PM is the ideal candidate to lead the country through Brexit.
Negotiations are now ongoing between Northern Ireland's main political parties to restore power sharing and a devolved executive, following an election in March.
"We made clear at the beginning of these talks that James Brokenshire is not an acceptable chair".
Barnier's interview will heap more pressure on May, who called a snap general election to give her a stronger hand at the Brexit negotiating table.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn turned Mrs May's election slogans against her, claiming a link-up between the Tories and DUP would be a "coalition of chaos".
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who is also touted to replace Mrs May should she be forced out, wrote in The Sun newspaper that people "have had a bellyful of promises and politicking", and that "now is the time for delivery - and Theresa May is the right person to continue that vital work". The party still won the largest number of seats and votes - with 318 seats and 12,667,213 votes (42.8% of the overall vote).
As well as meeting with DUP leader Arlene Foster, May is also set to travel to Paris later Tuesday to meet French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss how to tackle online extremism.
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