LONDON: Mr Winston Churchill was summoned to Buckingham Palace tonight [Oct 26] to take up the reins of power again as Britain`s Prime Minister.

King George VI asked him formally to head the first Conservative Government for six years following the defeat of Mr Clement Attlee`s Labour administration in the general election.

Mr Churchill has agreed to form Government, it was learned in usually well-informed quarters. The latest party standings with six out of 625 results still undeclared were: Conservatives 318, net gain 23; Labour 293, net loss 20; Liberals 5, net loss 3; and others 3.

As last results continued to flow promising a Conservative majority over all parties of about 25, Mr Attlee drove to the Palace through silent crowds to hand the King his resignation. Immediately afterwards Mr Churchill was summoned to the Palace.

Jubilant thousands earlier cheered Mr Churchill outside Conservative Party headquarters.

The 76-year-old statesman declared: `We shall do our very best to be of service. There lie before us hard times. Ihave no hesitation in saying that I have seen worse. ... But I don`t doubt that we shall come through.` ... News agencies