UK General Election, Election Day and Results Thread

[SciFiBoy]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8675265.stm

details are emerging from Conservative sources about the new government's programme, including:

* Plans for five-year, fixed-term parliaments
* The Lib Dems have agreed to drop plans for a "mansion tax", while the Conservatives have ditched their pledge to raise the inheritance tax threshold to £1m
* The new administration will scrap Labour's planned rise in National Insurance but some of the benefits will go on reducing income tax thresholds for lower earners
* A pledge to have a referendum on any further transfer of powers to the EU and a commitment from the Lib Dems not to adopt the euro for the lifetime of the next Parliament
* The Lib Dems have also agreed to Tory proposals for a cap on non-EU migration
* There wil be a "significant acceleration" of efforts to reduce the deficit - including £6bn of spending reductions this year

Mr Cameron has begun the work of appointing his first cabinet, with George Osborne confirmed as chancellor, William Hague as foreign secretary and Liam Fox as defence secretary.

Mr Clegg's chief of staff, Danny Alexander, is to be Scottish Secretary, the BBC understands.

A Downing Street spokesman said it had been agreed that five cabinet posts would be filled by Liberal Democrats, including the appointment of Mr Clegg, although there are expected to be about 20 Lib Dems in government jobs in total.