New British PM defends coalition deal as dissent escalates

---

LONDON, May 14 (AFP): Britain's new Prime Minister David Cameron insisted Friday that his Conservatives had a "common agenda" with their coalition partners, as concerns mounted in the premier's own party.
Cameron, installed this week at the head of Britain's first power-sharing government since World War II, insisted the deal with the centrist Liberal Democrat party could work, in comments to the Sun newspaper.
"Of course there will be sceptics and doubters but I believe we can make this work. I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't," he said.
"The doubters won't be proved wrong by words, promises or signed documents but by the actual evidence of a government governing effectively.
"And that's what we're prepared to do."
Referring to a conversation between his Tory-Lib Dem economic team at the first cabinet meeting on Thursday, he said: "It was clear there is a common agenda we want to pursue."
But rumblings of discontent were beginning to surface Thursday among Conservative lawmakers, who until a few months before the election seemed assured of a landslide election win.