British PM Theresa May to face Conservative Party questioning over poll setback

At just eight seats shy of a majority, Theresa May turned to the right-wing Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland, which won 10 seats in Westminster.

London: Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday began the process of forming a minority government from the hung Parliament after last week's general election and prepared to face questions from her Conservative Party lawmakers.

On Monday afternoon, Theresa May will meet with the 1922 Committee, a parliamentary group that comprises Conservative backbenchers, a term which applies to any lawmaker who sits behind Cabinet ministers on the government's front bench in the House of Commons, Efe news reported.

The committee is widely expected to press May for an explanation as to why the party suffered such a blow in the June 8 snap election, a vote called for by her just two months earlier when she had a 20-point poll lead over the opposition Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn.

The snap election backfired for May, who lost 13 seats and an overall Conservative majority while the centre-left Labour camp climbed by 30 parliamentary seats, completely contradicting early poll predictions.

At just eight seats shy of a majority, May turned to the right-wing Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland, which won 10 seats in Westminster.

DUP leader Arlene Foster is due to meet May on Wednesday in order to thrash out the details of that deal, which will likely entail a series of concessions in exchange for DUP support in the Commons.

May on Sunday appointed an effective "Deputy Prime Minister" after her election disaster as long-time friend Damian Green was made First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office. He was shifted from work and pensions to the new role at the Prime Minister's side.

May is due to begin Brexit negotiations with Brussels on June 19 in a weaker position than before the June election.