London, England - New British Prime Minister David Cameron wants to form a coalition government between his Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats, he said Tuesday.

Cameron was invited to form the next government by Queen Elizabeth II about one hour after she accepted Gordon Brown's resignation Tuesday evening.

The right-wing Conservatives won the largest number of seats in last week's election, but not enough to let them govern on their own.

Brown's left-wing Labour Party came in second, and the Liberal Democrats third. A Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition would have the majority of MPs in the House of Commons.

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London, England - UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced his resignation Tuesday paving the way for his successor after last week's inconclusive general election.

Gordon Brown said: "My resignation as leader of the Labour Party will take effect immediately."

He announced his resignation outside 10 Downing Street - the prime ministerial residence – before being driven to an audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

David Cameron's Conservative party won the largest number of seats, but not enough to let them govern on their own.

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London, England (CNN) – British premier Gordon Brown's offer to step down as part of a deal to entice the Liberal Democrats into a coalition government with Labour rather than David Cameron's Conservatives provoked a mixed reaction in the UK press Tuesday.

In a statement outside Downing Street Monday, Brown announced he would stand down as Labour leader in the autumn and allow a contest for his replacement to begin now.

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British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Monday he will step down as leader of his party after it was defeated in parliamentary elections last week.

"As leader of my party I must accept that that is a judgment on me," he said.

He is asking his Labour Party to begin preparations for a new leadership contest in which he will not be a candidate, he said. That effectively means he is on his way out as prime minister.

He said he hoped a new leader would be in place by the next party conference, which is scheduled for September.

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Conservative leader David Cameron has said his power-sharing offer to the Liberal Democrats following the unresolved UK election is "big, open and comprehensive."

But will it be big enough to tempt them to ally with a traditional political opponent? Will it be open enough to persuade those in both parties who fear that essential principles or interests will be sold out?

Will there be a Conservative/Liberal Democrat deal at all? If not, could a Lib Dem/Labour deal keep Gordon Brown in Downing Street as prime minister?

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The monthlong sprint that is the British elections ended Thursday night with a hung parliament, meaning plenty of wrangling is still to be done before we know who will be the next prime minister.

But there are already clear lessons from the election across the pond that apply to American politics, explains John P. Avlon, a senior political columnist for The Daily Beast.

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