John McDonnell: Labour will try to form a minority government after shock election result

The Shadow Chancellor branded Theresa May a “lame duck prime minister” after the Conservative leader lost seats in the historic vote.

The Conservatives are on course to win 318 seats by the time the final results are in, while Labour is projected to get 261.

Sources have signalled Mrs May will not be resigning and is in talks about how she can try to form a government.

But after a much better than expected night for his party, Mr McDonnell argued a minority Labour government would be a more secure bet for the country.

"We will put ourselves forward to serve the country and form a minority government," he told Radio 4’s Today programme.

"And the reason for that is I don’t think the Conservative party is stable - I don’t think the Prime Minister is stable.

"I don’t want to be derogatory but I think she’s a lame duck Prime Minister - I can’t see her surviving."

Mr McDonnell insisted Labour would not be making any coalition or informal deals with other parties.

He argued MPs from across the house would back the Labour plan because the policies are "the ones the country needs at the moment".

Mrs May is expected to approach the DUP to help her form a tiny majority, since the Northern Irish party generally provides a boost for the Tories in the Commons.

But Mr McDonnell argued such a deal would result in a “coalition of chaos” - the charge the Prime Minister levelled at Labour, the SNP and others throughout the campaign.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has this morning called on Mrs May to resign and allow Labour to form a government “that will be truly representative of all of the people of this country”.

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