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World watching as UK election results roll in

THE shock UK result has been dubbed “citizens revenge” with young people leading the charge. Here’s how it played out.

Emma Reynolds and Megan Palin
23 min read
June 9, 2017 - 8:46PM
British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre on June 9, 2017 in Maidenhead, England. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images.
British Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Theresa May speaks at the declaration at the election count at the Magnet Leisure Centre on June 9, 2017 in Maidenhead, England. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images.

Good evening

WELCOME to our UK election live blog. Will Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May get the decisive win she wants, or will Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pull off a sensational upset? The people have spoken, and we’ll be bringing you all the news, reaction and analysis as the results of this vital vote roll in throughout the day.

8.30pm

That’s it for our live blog of UK election results.

Follow the latest news on how UK Prime Minister Theresa May will form her new government here.

8.00pm

Mrs May is reportedly going "full steam ahead in forming government” with new cabinet ministers expected to be appointed today, according to Sky sources.

Meanwhile, many international leaders and politicians continue to congratulate Mr Corbyn on Labour’s unexpected result.

Greece’s leftist-led government is enthusiastically applauding Theresa May’s “very big defeat” as a victory over the politics of austerity.

“This trend of doubting the politics of harsh austerity is now being consolidated world wide,” said Dimitris Tzanakopoulos who represents the ruling Syriza party which has long had close ties with Mr Corbyn.

“We saw it in the USA with Bernie Sanders ... we saw it in Europe, primarily in Europe’s south, initially with Syriza, then in Portugal and Spain .. and France with [Jean-Luc] Melenchon.”

Leader of the Spanish Socialist party Pedro Sánchez posted a “Congratulations to Jeremy Corbyn and Labour” to social media.

“A great campaign and an excellent result. The British people deserve a government that looks after the majority.”

Leader of the anti-austerity Podemos party Pablo Iglesias, tweeted: “Congratulations Jeremy Corbyn and Labour on a magnificent result. You shall find us by your side to defeat austerity & xenophobia across Europe.”

A spokesperson for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would not comment on the outcome of the election “out of respect and politeness”.

7.45pm

Mr Nuttall has delivered his resignation statement: “I am standing down today as the leader of Ukip with immediate effect,” he said. “This will allow the party to have a new leader in place by the conference in September.

“The new rebranded Ukip must be launched and new era must begin with a new leader.

“I never envisaged that I would lead the party into three byelections and a general election in the space of six hectic months. I wanted at least a year of calm to rebrand and rebuild the party’s structures.”

Mr Nuttall’s resignation will open the door for a third Ukip leadership contest in a year.

Ukip leader Paul Nuttall has stood down following the UK general election results. Picture: AFP / Adrian Dennis.
Ukip leader Paul Nuttall has stood down following the UK general election results. Picture: AFP / Adrian Dennis.

7.30pm

Paul Nuttall has resigned as leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party after it failed to gain any seats in the general election.

“A new era must begin with a new leader,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Nuttall said the Ukip was a “victim of its own success”.

“What a hubristic, foolish, politically niave election to call,” Mr Nuttall said.

“It has put our Brexit at risk.

“I hope whoever leads the team gets the best deal for the British public.”

U.K. Independence Party leader Paul Nuttall smiles as he walks through the Peter Paine Performance Centre in Boston, England after losing the Boston and Skegness seat in the general election Friday June 9, 2017. UKIP's vote has collapsed in the election, with former supporters going to both Labour and the Conservatives. The party looks unlikely to win any seats in the House of Commons. Picture: Joe Giddens/PA via AP.
U.K. Independence Party leader Paul Nuttall smiles as he walks through the Peter Paine Performance Centre in Boston, England after losing the Boston and Skegness seat in the general election Friday June 9, 2017. UKIP's vote has collapsed in the election, with former supporters going to both Labour and the Conservatives. The party looks unlikely to win any seats in the House of Commons. Picture: Joe Giddens/PA via AP.

7.15pm

Mrs May will visit Buckingham Palace at 12.30pm (9.30pm AEST) to seek permission from the Queen to form a government, a Downing Street spokesman said. The move suggests the Conservatives may have formed a minority government with the DUP.

Sky News sources are saying Mrs May has DUP backing. According to the Press Association, she will see the Queen to form a government. There is no detail yet on the terms of the potential coalition.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (pictured on June 3, 2017) and Prime Minister Theresa May are expected to meet at 12.30 (London time) today. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (pictured on June 3, 2017) and Prime Minister Theresa May are expected to meet at 12.30 (London time) today. Picture: Warren Little/Getty Images.

7.00pm

President of the European Council Donald Tusk has also suggested Brexit negotiations may be delayed. He told the UK to avoid a “no deal”.

Meanwhile, the election result was bad news for the Scottish National Party, which lost about 20 of its 54 seats. Among the casualties was Alex Salmond, a former first minister of Scotland and one of the party’s highest-profile lawmakers.

The losses complicate the SNP’s plans to push for a new referendum on Scottish independence as Britain prepares to leave the EU. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said the idea of a new independence referendum “is dead. That’s what we have seen tonight.”

6.45pm

Former Labour foreign secretary and one time Labour leadership hopeful, David Miliband, has expressed his delight at the shock UK election result. “So good brutal Brexit rejected,” he wrote on Twitter.

Jeremy Corbyn supporters cheered, clapped and sang as he arrived at the Labour party headquarters
Jeremy Corbyn supporters cheered, clapped and sang as he arrived at the Labour party headquarters

6.30pm

The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, says the Brexit negotiations should start when the UK is ready.

He added that the (two year) timetable and the EU’s position is clear.

Mr Barnier had previously set June 19 as his favoured date for the talks to start.

But Brussels officials have indicated that the date is not set in stone, meaning it could be delayed to take account of any change in the UK Government.

Bohuslav Sobotka, the prime minister of the Czech Republic, today said the UK is not ready to start negotiations.

6.15pm

The Conservatives are reportedly now in talks with Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party to form a coalition because it’s “not mathematically able” to form majority government.

With 636 of 650 seats in the House of Commons now declared, the Conservatives need to rely on support from smaller parties to govern.

The Conservatives currently have 310 to the Labour Party’s 258 seats.

Even if the Conservatives win all the remaining seats, the party would fall short of the 326 needed for an outright majority.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said Labour wants to form a minority government.

“If we can form a minority government, I think we can have a stable government. We would be able to produce a Queen’s speech and budget based upon our manifesto, which I think could command majority support in parliament, not through deals or coalitions but policy by policy.” he told the BBC.

“We are not looking for a coalition or deals.”

Before the election the Conservatives had 330 seats and Labour 229.

Morning commuters cross Westminster Bridge with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in the background of central London on June 9, 2017 after snap election results show a hung parliament with Labour gains and the loss of the Conservative majority. Picture: AFP / Paul Ellis.
Morning commuters cross Westminster Bridge with Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in the background of central London on June 9, 2017 after snap election results show a hung parliament with Labour gains and the loss of the Conservative majority. Picture: AFP / Paul Ellis.

6.00pm

Mr Corbyn has told Sky News he is “ready to serve” in a minority government.

“I think it’s pretty clear who won this election,” he added, citing gains for the party across Britain.

Mrs May has signalled she will use her right as incumbent to make the first attempt to form a government, but it is unclear whether she will have the necessary support to do so.

Labour’s finance spokesman John McDonnell ruled out doing coalition deals with other parties, saying its preferred option is leading a minority government. “We’ll put ourselves forward to serve the country and form a minority government and the reason for that is I don’t think the Conservative Party is stable, I don’t think the prime minister is stable. I don’t want to be derogatory but I think she is a lame duck prime minister,” he told BBC Radio.

5.45pm

The shock result could send Britain’s negotiations to leave the European Union - due to start June 19 - into disarray.

The leader of the powerful European People’s Party in the European parliament, Manfred Weber, says the Brexit clock is ticking and Britain had better get itself a “negotiations-ready” government soon.

The German conservative said in a tweet that the scheduled start date of Brexit talks in just 10 days is now “uncertain”.

“Our position is clear: we want good co-operation with the UK, but Brexit means leaving the UK with all its benefits,” Mr Weber wrote in a second tweet.

Mr Corbyn told Sky News: “They are going to have to go ahead because Article 50 has been invoked.”

He said putting negotiations off as “not completely in Britain’s hands”.

“We are ready to undertake negotiations on behalf of this country," he said.

Sky’s Faisal Islam called the vote “revenge of citizens of nowhere” with Mrs May mistakenly assuming that those who voted to leave in the Brexit referendum would also vote Conservative.

In fact, a huge surge in young voters and support for Labour’s domestic policy have dashed Mrs May’s hopes of increasing her parliamentary majority.

5.30pm

The end of the election has been delayed with the Kensington count so close it has been suspended because staff are not immediately available to conduct the multiple recounts required. The constituency has subsequently not yet elected its MP.

A result is not expected until at least tonight (London time) or possibly tomorrow.

Reports earlier in the night indicated that Labour would take the seat from Conservatives.

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May listens as the declaration at her constituency is made for in the general election in Maidenhead, England, Friday, June 9, 2017. Picture: Stefan Rousseau.
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May listens as the declaration at her constituency is made for in the general election in Maidenhead, England, Friday, June 9, 2017. Picture: Stefan Rousseau.

5.15pm

Sky News has called original predictions for the Conservatives to win the UK election by a landslide the “greatest political miscalculation of the modern era.”

Mr Corbyn has arrived at the Labour Party headquarters in Central London to cheers and waves.

When he walked inside the building, the crowd broke out in song, singing: “Oh, Jeremy Corbyn” - to the tune of Seven Nation Army.

He is expected to give a speech shortly.

Britain's Opposition Jeremy Corbyn waves as he arrives at Labour Party headquarters in central London on June 9, 2017 after results in a snap general election show a hung parliament with Labour gains and the Conservatives losing its majority. Picture: AF.
Britain's Opposition Jeremy Corbyn waves as he arrives at Labour Party headquarters in central London on June 9, 2017 after results in a snap general election show a hung parliament with Labour gains and the Conservatives losing its majority. Picture: AF.

5.00pm

The pound has hit a five-month low against the euro, at €1.1322, as a result of a hung parliament. Meanwhile, the poor showing for the ruling Conservative Party in the UK election has given the Aussie dollar a boost against the pound sterling.

4.55pm

Mrs May will not resign following her failure to secure a Commons majority, according to Conservative sources.

Labour has taken a clutch of English constituencies while the Liberal Democrats have also made gains.

4.45pm

Mrs May “lost her bet”, the EU’s Economy Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said Friday after May’s Conservative Party failed to win an overall majority in a snap election.

“Mrs May, who was supposed to emerge strengthened, lost her bet and is therefore in a less than clear situation because the truth is that we don’t really know what the governing situation is this morning,” Moscovici told the French Europe 1 radio channel.


4.30pm

Labour politician John McDonnell says the party wants to form a minority government and has challenged the Scottish National Party, Green and Liberal Democrats to support it.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister reportedly has no plans to resign and is instead working to form a government based on being the largest party in seats and votes, the BBC reports.

Britain’s Opposition Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell arrives at Labour Party headquarters in central London on June 9, 2017. Picture: AFP / Daniel Leal-Olivas.
Britain’s Opposition Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell arrives at Labour Party headquarters in central London on June 9, 2017. Picture: AFP / Daniel Leal-Olivas.

4.15pm

Former US Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has congratulated Mr Corbyn for exceeding expectations in the UK election as Labour continues to increase its number of parliamentary seats.

Mr Corbyn drew comparisons to Mr Sanders on the campaign trail when he railed against the establishment and harnessed public angst over Prime Minister Theresa May’s leadership in turbulent times.

US senator Bernie Sanders has congratulated Jeremy Corbyn for exceeding expectations in the UK election. Picture: AP/Bebeto Matthew.
US senator Bernie Sanders has congratulated Jeremy Corbyn for exceeding expectations in the UK election. Picture: AP/Bebeto Matthew.

Mr Sanders said he had stayed up to watch UK results come in and was “delighted” at what he had seen.

“I am delighted to see Labour do so well”, he told the Washington Post. “All over the world people are rising up against austerity and massive levels of income and wealth inequality. People in the UK, the US and elsewhere want governments that represent all the people, not just the 1 per cent. I congratulate Jeremy Corbyn for running a very positive and effective campaign.”

Mr Corbyn is expected any moment to leave his home in Islington to head to Labour headquarters and speak to party staff. .

3.55pm

Mrs May has faced calls to quit after her electoral gamble to win a stronger mandate backfired and she lost her parliamentary majority. The result has thrown British politics into turmoil and potentially disrupted Brexit negotiations.

May is unable to get the 326 seats her Conservative party needs for an outright majority. The party seats so far: Conservative 312 Labour 259 Lib Dems 12 SNP 34 Greens 1 UKIP 0 Other 22 Unreported 10.

3:35pm

It’s 6.35am in the UK and the Brits are waking up to the news that, after three major votes in two years, they have a hung parliament.

The mood is grim, to say the least. Mrs May will make a speech at 10am local time, amid calls for her to stand down. If she goes, she would be the shortest-serving British prime minister since Andrew Bonar Law in 1922-23.

The Tories will now be scrambling to form a minority government, potentially with the help of Northern Ireland’s DUP. The timing and nature of Brexit has again been thrown into doubt, another general election could well be in the cards before the end of the year.

3:20pm

Chas Roy-Chowdhury, head of Taxation at the UK’s Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, tells news.com.au there are now a few different possible outcomes now.

“A Tory government will mean reduced taxes, while a Labour win or Labour-led Coalition government means taxes will rise,” he said.

“If Tories win, corporation tax rate will go down to 17 per cent by 2020 and other taxes will remain the same, which highlights Australia will be behind the curve when it comes to corporation tax rates as they are way too high, impacting foreign investment.

“If Labour wins or Labour leads a Coalition Government ... corporation tax rate will almost certainly go up to 26 per cent, which is going against a global trend but still below Australia’s level of CT.”

“Also if Labour leads a Coalition Government then income tax will go up which is again going against the global trend which is similar to rates in Australia.

“The outcome of the UK elections will determine the future path of Brexit and the next few days will be interesting to see what the future relationship will be between the UK and the European Union.”

Dawn breaks at the Houses of Parliament in central London as Britain ws up to a hung parliament. Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP
Dawn breaks at the Houses of Parliament in central London as Britain ws up to a hung parliament. Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP

3:10pm

Press Association journalist Ian Jones tweets:

3:05pm

Plans to start Brexit negotiations in the week of June 19 may have to be delayed, experts say.

When the talks do begin, there could be a very different approach from the “hard Brexit” advocated by May that would involve leaving Europe’s single market and curbing European immigration.

“What the UK asks for might not be quite as hard, quite as tough as she was asking for before. We might see a softening of the stance in response to this election result,” said Simon Hix, politics professor at the London School of Economics. “The terms of us leaving are so much more up for grabs than they were before.”

His LSE colleague Paul Kelly said the result would weaken May’s hand in Brussels, where she is due to attend a summit on June 22 and 23.

German Chancellor Angela “Merkel will notice that, [French President Emmanuel] Macron will notice that. Everybody will notice that and that changes the dynamic,” Kelly said.

“She has to go and ask for things now and they can say ‘well we’ll see’.”

— AFP

2:50pm

Political commentators now agree it’s going to be a hung parliament, with the Conservatives on 303 seats (-12), Labour on 256 (+30), the SNP on 34 (-19), Liberal Democrats on 12 (+5), DUP on 10 (+2), UKIP 0, Green 0, “Others” 11.

The result is set to be pretty close to the exit poll that predicted the Tories would get 314 seats and Labour 266, with 626 of 650 seats now declared. The magic number for a majority in this first-past-the-post system is 326, with the Conservatives likely to try to make a deal with Northern Ireland’s DUP to form a minority government.

Here’s what happens now.

It’s a hung Parliament in Britain. Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP
It’s a hung Parliament in Britain. Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP

2:35pm

The BBC is now officially calling it a hung parliament.

2:25pm

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has retained his seat of Westmorland and Lonsdale with 23,686 votes, just beating the Conservatives by 777. Asked about potentially helping to form a coalition in a hung parliament, he said: “No pacts, no deals.”

Tory candidate James Airey got 22,909 votes, Labour candidate Eli Aldridge took 4783 and independent Mr Fishfinger took 309.

2:10pm

Labour MP Chuka Umunna, who just held his seat in south London’s Streatham, has told the BBC he would consider accepting a ministerial position from Mr Corbyn, despite being on the opposite side of the party. He is just the latest senior figure in the party to acknowledge the previously derided Opposition Leader’s massive accomplishment as the results roll in.

It is Mr Corbyn’s moment, as his detractors within the Labour Party line up to praise his performance. Picture: AP Photo/Frank Augstein
It is Mr Corbyn’s moment, as his detractors within the Labour Party line up to praise his performance. Picture: AP Photo/Frank Augstein

1:55pm

Home Secretary Amber Rudd has won in Hastings & Rye. It was so close it went to a recount and she won by just 300 votes, but the Conservatives will just be relieved it’s a victory.

Former Tory minister Anna Soubry has said Mrs May should “consider her position”.

1:40pm

Northern Ireland’s results are in with 10 seats for the Democratic Unionist Party and seven for Sinn Fein, the latter of whom are still boycotting Westminster.

It paves the way for a power-sharing deal between the Conservatives and the DUP.

Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has lost his seat of Gordon to the Conservatives as the Tories continue to look strong in Scotland.

1:25pm

At 4am UK time, the Conservatives and Labour were neck-and-neck with 214 seats each, and some vital results to come. They would need 326 for a majority. The Scottish National Party were on 29, Lib Dems on 10 and Greens and UKIP both on zero.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said the results were disappointing for her party but disastrous for the Prime Minister. “Clearly it’s a disappointing result, we’ve lost some tremendous MPs,” said Ms Sturgeon. “This is a disaster for Theresa May, she called an election clearly very arrogantly thinking that she was going to crush the opposition, sweep everybody aside and cruise to a landside majority, her position is very, very difficult.”

The SNP leader said she would think about her demands for a second Scottish independence referendum. “There is clearly uncertainty around Brexit and independence which clearly will be factor in tonight’s result,” she said.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is embraced as she arrives at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA via AP
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is embraced as she arrives at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA via AP
The downcast Prime Minister is feeling the heat from all sides. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images
The downcast Prime Minister is feeling the heat from all sides. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

1:10pm

Britain’s newspapers have updated their front pages. The portentous 3am editions include the choice headlines “Theresa Dismay”, “Cor Blimey” and “Stormin’ Corbyn”.

1:00pm

A source from Conservative Party HQ has told London talk radio station LBC that Mrs May will stand down if she fails to win a majority. As it approaches 4am in the UK, the source said “the knives are out for Theresa May”.

Political editor Theo Usherwood said: “From what I understand, they will look at Brexit again. There’s a recognition within the Conservative Party that what was being put forward by Theresa May in terms of that hard Brexit wasn’t what voters wanted in terms of securing the rights of EU nationals.”

A Tory source says ‘the knives are out’ for Mrs May. Pictured, votes are counted at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA via AP
A Tory source says ‘the knives are out’ for Mrs May. Pictured, votes are counted at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA via AP

12:50pm

Major upheaval is taking place in Scotland. Labour has won back Gordon Brown’s former seat of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath from the Scottish National Party.

The Conservatives have taken Aberdeen South, Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock from the SNP — but the nationalist party held on in Perth and North Perthshire, The Guardian reports.

SNP deputy leader Angus Robertson’s loss of Moray to the Tories is the biggest electoral shock the party has seen in decades, directly tied to the area’s very strong pro-Brexit and anti-independence sentiment.

12:40pm

As if she didn't have enough to deal with right now, Elmo — yes, of Sesame Street fame — has picked up three votes in Mrs May’s constituency of Maidenhead.

But Bobby “Elmo” Smith was outrun by Howling “Laud” Hope of the Monster Raving Loony Party with 119 votes and the fabulously named Lord Buckethead, with 249 votes.

Mrs May managed 37,718, so it could have been worse.

Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn is calling for her to stand down. “Politics has changed,” he said after winning his London seat. “Politics isn’t going back into the box where it was before. What’s happened is, people have said they’ve had quite enough of austerity politics, they’ve had quite enough of cuts in public expenditure, underfunding our health service, underfunding our schools, our education service, and not giving our young people the chance they deserve in our society.”

12:25pm

Theresa May has spoken after holding her seat in Maidenhead, but would not take questions from journalists on whether she would step down, or how she made such a spectacular miscalculation.

“As we ran this campaign, we set out to consider the issues that are the key priorities for the British people. Getting the Brexit deal right, ensuring that we both identify and show how we can address the big challenges facing our country. Doing what is in the national interest. That is always what I have tried to do in my time as a member of parliament. My resolve to do that is the same this morning as it always has been. As we look ahead and we wait to see what the final results will be, I know that, as I say, the country needs a period of stability and whatever the results are, the Conservative Party will ensure that we fulfil our duty in ensuring that stability so we can all, as one country, go forward together.”

Mrs May and husband Philip arrive for the election count at a leisure centre in her seat of Maidenhead, which she held. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images
Mrs May and husband Philip arrive for the election count at a leisure centre in her seat of Maidenhead, which she held. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

12:15pm

With 305 seats declared, Labour has won 145 (+13), the Conservatives 124 (-1).

Sky News is now forecasting that the Tories will win 318 seats, up four from the exit poll and five short of a majority. Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party could then help the party limp over the line, although it would probably still sound the death knell for Mrs May.

Mr Corbyn has increased his majority in his safe seat of Islingtron North, London, by 10,430 votes.

12:00pm

Buoyant Labour leader Mr Corbyn has just produced what is being called the “worst high five ever”, while celebrating at the count centre in his constituency with Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry.

The Opposition Leader went to high five his colleague, but she didn’t respond and his hand awkwardly ended up on her breast.

He takes the title from First Lady Melania Trump for this cringe-worthy attempt to high five her son Barron.

11:50am

In one of the most dramatic results so far, former deputy Prime Minster and Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg has lost his seat of Sheffield Hallam to Labour.

Mr Clegg looked visibly upset at the news.

The ex-deputy PM signed his own death warrant when he formed a Coalition with David Cameron’s Conservatives in 2010 — and then allowed them to increase tuition fees, going against one of his parties core policies and alienating a core demographic of student voters.

11:40am

Time to get booking that trip to Europe. The pound has fallen one per cent against the Aussie dollar.

It has since recovered slightly but a close result could send the markets into free fall once more.

UK stocks are set to kick off Friday trading in negative territory after early results from the country’s general election pointed to a hung parliament, Dow Jones reports. But the international outlook is not so gloomy — the fall in UK stock futures was negated by a sharp drop in the pound, which tends to boost the multinational FTSE index.

Cameras flock around Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as he arrives for the declaration at his London constituency. Picture: Frank Augstein/AP
Cameras flock around Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as he arrives for the declaration at his London constituency. Picture: Frank Augstein/AP

11:25am

A source at Labour HQ has told The Independent the party were sceptical of the exit poll when it emerged, but now expect to outperform it.

Mr Corbyn was seen leaving his home in the London seat of Islington North to loud cheers of “Ooh Jeremy Corbyn!”

Recent gains for Labour include Leeds North West from the Lib Dems and Battersea and Stockton South from Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jane Elliston.

Bracknell, Torbay, Cannock Chase and Hemel Hempstead were held by the Tories.

11:10am

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage — who led the charge to leave the European Union before resigning after Britain voted ‘yes’ to Brexit — has weighed into the drama, tweeting his approval for left-winger Mr Corbyn.

He also raised the prospect of a second EU referendum, saying he would have “no choice” but to return if Brexit were put in peril.

Mr Farage told London talk radio station LBC Mrs May was “frankly, no good” after the exit poll shocker.

“She doesn’t really believe in anything,” he said. “That was where Corbyn was so impressive. I don’t agree with his agenda, but he went around the country and it was clear he believed in something. That generated enthusiasm, he went out and met the public.”

Early results suggest the UK Independence Party, which won 12.5 per cent of the vote two years ago, could be almost wiped out.

10:55am

Party seats won so far, from Reuters: Conservative 21, Labour 30, Lib Dems 0, SNP 3, Greens 0, UKIP 0, Other 3, Unreported 593.

Labour are on course for a Trumpian upset in the UK election. Picture: AP Photo/Frank Augstein
Labour are on course for a Trumpian upset in the UK election. Picture: AP Photo/Frank Augstein

10:40am

The bad news just keeps on coming for the Conservative Party, as the “unelectable” Mr Corbyn begins to look like a contender.

The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg reports that it “sounds like Labour has beaten [Nick] Clegg”, the former Liberal Democrats leader and ex-deputy PM.

From The Spectator:

10:30am

It’s happening. Jeremy Corbyn is now odds-on favourite to be the next British Prime Minister. UK betters backing Mr Corbyn for leader will win 2.48 for every pound they put on. Those backing Ms May will win 2.58 – suggesting that it is slightly less likely.

Meanwhile, some laugh-out-loud memes are emerging on social media, as the UK reverberates in shock at the exit poll no one saw coming.

Here are some of our favourites:

10:20am

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has made a ringing statement:

“I’d like to thank all our members and supporters who have worked so hard on this campaign, from door knocking to social media, and to everyone who voted for a manifesto which offers real change for our country. Whatever the final result, we have already changed the face of British politics.”

Mr Corbyn is on track to pull off a remarkable upset. Picture: AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas
Mr Corbyn is on track to pull off a remarkable upset. Picture: AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas

10:10am

Can Mr Corbyn really pull off such an incredible upset? The far-left Labour leader not only needs a high turnout from the historically unreliable youth vote, he is also chasing the Conservatives’ core demographic, according to Politico.

“If we are to believe what the polls are telling us, the group that has swung to Labour the most is actually the group most likely to be Tory — wealthy older voters in the southeast and southwest,” said David Cameron’s former director of strategy, pollster Andrew Cooper.

They may have children or grandchildren who would benefit from Labour’s promise to scrap tuition fees and parents who would be affected by Mrs May’s “dementia tax” plan to pay for social care from the proceeds of people’s homes when they die.

10:00am

Not much reassurance for Mrs May from Tory grandee Liam Fox:

A re-count is now looking likely in Home Secretary Amber Rudd’s constituency of Hastings in the south of England, sources told The Sun.

The smaller parties are fading away in this battle of the titans, with Sky News reporting UKIP has lost its deposit in 10 seats and the Lib Dems in 11 seats. All four of the Liberal Democrats’ UK gains are expected to take place in Scotland.

Paddy Power is giving 7/4 odds of another General Election this year.

9:45am

One of Mrs May’s funniest moments on the campaign trail came when she said “running through fields of wheat” was the naughtiest thing she had ever done. Hmmmm.

9:35am

Bookmakers are already talking about Mrs May’s demise, releasing odds on former London mayor Boris Johnson becoming the next Conservative leader.

Labour now have six seats and the Tories have three. A slump for the anti-Europe UK Independence Party appears to have benefited both parties.

Meanwhile, meet our favourite candidate, Mr Fishfinger.

Local candidate Mr Fishfinger waits as ballot papers are counted at the Westmoorland and Lonsdale constituency count at Kendal Leisure Centre in Cumbria, North West England. Picture: Dave Thompson/Getty Images
Local candidate Mr Fishfinger waits as ballot papers are counted at the Westmoorland and Lonsdale constituency count at Kendal Leisure Centre in Cumbria, North West England. Picture: Dave Thompson/Getty Images

9:20am

The results are flowing in thick and fast now, with swings to Labour in three seats, but towards the Conservatives in two others. One of the world’s most famous political forecasters has called the result “weird and regional”.

Meanwhile, former Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg says there is “no meeting point” between the party and the Tories, adding that three was “no way the Lib Dems will dignify that headlong rush [to Brexit].”

The ex-Deputy Prime Minister called it “a boomerang election for the Conservatives, who started out in this election campaign treating it as something of a coronation.”

Now, he told ITV News, “clearly it’s going to be a much tighter fought contest.”

9:05am

The top trending question on Google is now “Why did Theresa May call an election?” It’s probably something the British Prime Minister is asking herself, after deciding to call an early, snap election when the polls had her in a strong position. She hoped it would give her a mandate to see through a “hard Brexit” — cutting ties from the European Union and drastically reducing immigration and freedom of movement.

8:50am

Labour now has three seats and all three MPs are women. The party has held Sunderland Central.

8:40am

It’s going to be a long night in the UK for people counting the votes as well as those watching the result at home, and at the party HQs.

8:25am

Former UK chancellor George Osborne has said Mrs May will have to resign if the exit polls are correct. The senior Tory MP told ITV News such a result would be “completely catastrophic” for the Prime Minister and he doubted she would “survive”.

He said the Conservative leader would struggle to get to a majority of 326, with the Liberal Democrats “unlikely to go into coalition with the Conservatives this time round” after Nick Clegg’s disastrous deal with David Cameron in 2010, and because of the party’s commitment to policies including a second European referendum.

“It’s difficult to see, if these numbers were right, how they would put together the coalition to remain in office,” said Mr Osborne. “I look at these numbers, you can’t make them add up.”

8:10am

The first result has come in from Newcastle-upon-Tyne Central in northern England, and Labour has held the seat. What is significant is that the result shows a two per cent swing to the Opposition Party. A seat in another northern city, Houghton and Sunderland South, is second to declare, and Labour has also held — as expected — but with a 3.5 per cent swing to Conservative.

Ballot papers are checked ahead of the count at a Kendal leisure centre in Cumbria, North West England. Picture: Dave Thompson/Getty Images
Ballot papers are checked ahead of the count at a Kendal leisure centre in Cumbria, North West England. Picture: Dave Thompson/Getty Images

8:05am

Let’s take a look at the front pages of Britain’s newspapers as its future hangs in the balance, with the pound now down two per cent following the shock exit poll. A marked change in tone for some, with lead stories featuring words like “humiliating”, “shock” and “failure”.

7:50am

Surely not. From the UK Telegraph’s chief political correspondent:

Whatever would Brenda say?

7:45am

The reaction in Britain and around the world is one of disbelief. Here are just some of the stunned responses:

7:25am

The pound has taken a nosedive, slumping to a seven-week low after the shock exit poll. Dow Jones reports that sterling has fallen 0.8 per cent vs. the US dollar after the polls showed a hung parliament.

It’s Brexit all over again. The markets hate uncertainty and instability and this will affect the stockmarket globally.

Mrs May will be regretting this tweet:

7:15am

Can you trust exit polls? Well, in 2005, the joint poll got the result exactly right, predicting that Labour would win by a majority of 66 seats. In 2015, it was wrong by 22, predicting the Conservatives would be 10 seats short of a majority. They got a majority of 12.

If this sensational result is 20 seats off, that could change everything. Twenty more and Mrs May has her majority. Twenty fewer would be disastrous for the PM, giving Mr Corbyn the chance to form government.

7:00am

That’s it! Voting has closed and the exit poll is in.

The Conservatives have 314 seats, down from 331 and 12 seats short of a majority; Labour is on 266, up from 232; the Liberal Democrats are up from 8 to 14 and Scottish National Party (SNP) down to 34 compared to 56 in 2015, according to the poll for the BBC, Sky and ITV.

If correct, the exit poll shows the Tories losing its majority and a hung Parliament, a major shock for the party and failure for Mrs May to achieve her aim in calling a snap election.

Mr Corbyn will be feeling celebratory. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images
Mr Corbyn will be feeling celebratory. Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images

6:50am

Voting closes in ten minutes and around 30 million people are thought to have had their say in a momentous election. There was tight security at the polls after the devastating terror attacks in Manchester and London overshadowed the campaign. London landmarks Trafalgar Square and Charing Cross Station were evacuated on Thursday afternoon over a “suspicious item”, but later reopened.

The results for first exit polls will be published just before 7am AEDT, with the critical seats called between 9am and 1pm Friday, AEDT. Recent polls show a range of results from a 15 per cent win for Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives to a hung parliament. The final Ipsos MORI figures showed the government set to gain a majority of 44 per cent over 36 per cent for Labour.

The result could have huge ramifications around the world, with anything but a decisive Tory win causing volatility in the global stock market. A poor result for Mrs May could mean she has to consider a “softer Brexit”, which could mean benefits for Australians in terms of immigration and working rights.

The heat is on for Theresa May, pictured with husband Philip at a polling station near Maidenhead, England. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images
The heat is on for Theresa May, pictured with husband Philip at a polling station near Maidenhead, England. Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Originally published as World watching as UK election results roll in

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/world-watching-as-uk-election-results-roll-in/news-story/1cb5a90bcbd85b02d8e743d00f4bf1d3