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Why did Gordon Brown resign as prime minister in May 2010?

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Gordon Brown resigned as prime minister in May 2010 following the British general election of 2010, in which the Labour Party lost its majority in the House of Commons and finished second to the Conservative Party.12

Because no party achieved a parliamentary majority, the result was a "hung Parliament." Following the election, Brown engaged in negotiations to form a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. When these negotiations failed, Brown announced his intention to step down as leader of the Labour Party on May 10, 2010. The following day, May 11, he formally tendered his resignation as prime minister to Queen Elizabeth II, clearing the way for David Cameron to form a government.123