David Cameron entered No 10 tonight as the first Conservative Prime Minister in 13 years.

The Tory leader said he intended to form a "proper and full" coalition government with the Liberal Democrats.

Arriving in Downing Street with his wife Samantha, he announced: "Her Majesty the Queen has asked me to form a new Government and I have accepted."

Mr Cameron paid tribute to Gordon Brown for his "long record of dedicated public service" and said that after more than a decade of Labour rule, Britain was "more open at home and more compassionate abroad".

Looking ahead to the coalition he will form with the Lib Dems, he said: "We have some deep and pressing problems - a huge deficit, deep social problems, a political system in need of reform.

"For those reasons, I aim to form a proper and full coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

"I believe that is the right way to provide this country with the strong, the stable, the good and decent government that I think we need so badly."

Mr Cameron said: "Nick Clegg and I are both political leaders who want to put aside party differences and work hard for the common good and for the national interest.

"I believe that is the best way to get the strong Government that we need, decisive Government that we need today.

"I came into politics because I love this country, I think its best days still lie ahead and I believe deeply in public service, and I think the service our country needs right now is to face up to our really big challenges, to confront our problems, to take difficult decisions, to lead people through those difficult decisions so that together we can reach better times ahead."