Brown said he had asked the Cabinet Secretary, Britain's most senior civil servant, to arrange support for all parties that might be involved in talks over a possible future coalition government.

The election saw the opposition Conservative Party win the most parliamentary seats but not enough to form a majority government.

"It is my duty as Prime Minister to take all steps to ensure Britain has a strong, stable and principled government," Brown said in a statement.

"I have asked the Cabinet Secretary to arrange for the civil service to provide support on request to parties engaged in discussions on the formation of government."
 

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, on the other hand, said that he believed the larger opposition Conservative party should try to form the next British government after an inconclusive election.

"It seems this morning that it is the Conservative party that has more votes and more seats though not an absolute majority and that is why I think it is now for the Conservative party to prove that it is capable of seeking to govern in the national interest," Clegg told reporters in London.

With most of the results in, the Conservatives won the most seats in parliament but failed to gain an overall majority, creating uncertainty over who will lead a country facing huge economic problems.