Britain gets a new prime minister

Britain has a new Prime Minister — Conservative party leader David Cameron. Last week's inconclusive election left the UK's political system in flux until Tuesday, when a Conservative-led coalition government took shape, prompting incumbent Gordon Brown to resign and hand Cameron the keys to 10 Downing Street. At 43, Cameron is the youngest Prime Minister to rule Britain since 1812. He's a bit like a Conservative version of Tony Blair, writes Raphael G. Satter in The Washington Post. Against all odds, he's dragged his "right-of-center party toward the center of British politics, promoting inclusive politics, environmental concerns, and a certain modern sensibility." But right-wing voices in his own party are already grumbling, says Doug Mataconis at Outside the Beltway. "If Cameron ends up being taken down in the end by the hard-liners in his own party, it’s likely to look a lot like what’s going on in the Republican Party today." Watch David Cameron's first speech as British PM:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up