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LONDON, June 9-- Political commentators Friday called it the gamble that went spectacularly wrong for Prime Minister Theresa May. May called a snap general election in April, being convinced the British public would give her a strong mandate as she prepares for a battle with the European Union over Britain's post-Brexit relationship with the bloc. She wanted the security of a bigger margin than the narrow 17-strong working majority she held in the British House of Commons. Instead, as the final election results came in Friday, it confirmed what a Thursday night exit poll had predicted, the loss of her majority. To make matters worse for May, her main rivals in the Commons, Jeremy Corbyn's Labor Party, did spectacularly well, increasing the size of their numbers to 261 MPs. May ended up with 315 MPs, the largest group, and enough to form a minority government, but 11 short of the number she needed to make a majority. She turned to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland, close allies of the Conservatives. They had gained two seats, taking their total to 10. A deal with the DUP would break through the 326 barrier May desperately needed to form a government. May held talks Friday with Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP, ahead of making the short car journey to Buckingham Palace to outline her plan to Queen Elizabeth. Shortly after, May told an assembled press corps in Downing Street that having seen the Queen, she would form a government, adding: "a government that can provide certainty and lead Britain forward at this critical time for our country". | 
