国际英语新闻：British electors deliver vote of no confidence in political parties

Cameron ruled out compromise on key issues such as defence, European Union relations, immigration and made an offer of only a committee of inquiry into electoral reform, a key Liberal Democrat manifesto pledge.

Cameron added that cuts in the deficit in public spending needed to be made now. "The biggest threat is the deficit. Starting to deal with the deficit this year is essential," he said.

As the leaders spoke the pound sank to a one-year low against the U.S. dollar and stocks in London fell. Elsewhere controversy broke out over some events on election night.

Voters were shut out of polling stations in some urban areas across England, including Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle and parts of London after queues formed close to the closing time of 10 p.m. and could not be served in time.

In one constituency in East London, voters said they had queued for an hour and a half to vote, only to be told at 10 p.m. that the polling station was now closed and they could not vote.

The turnout in the election was about 65 percent, up on the 2005 figure of 61 percent.

This was surprising as the election was fought against a background of massive disillusion with politics and disgust with politicians in general. They were perceived by public opinion to have cheated and misled the people after a newspaper uncovered extensive cheating on expenses by MPs.

A total of 150 MPs saw their careers ended by the scandal when they were obliged not to run in this election. Three others face criminal charges.

Some MPs deeply embroiled in the scandal chose to stand. Labour MP and Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was one of those, and she paid the price, losing her seat to the Conservatives

The electoral system, too, is perceived as unfair by some and there were calls for reform during the campaign, with both the Liberal Democrats and Labour pledging a referendum on the issue. The first past-the-post system in use favors the two main parties, and one of the features of the campaign was the breakthrough in opinion polls by the third party, the Liberal Democrats.

Their emergence as a force equal to Labour energized the campaign and turned it into a three-horse race, but support fell away in the final few days as newly-converted Liberal Democrat supporters turned to the two main parties in search of strong government.