General election results live: Nigel Farage becomes Reform MP on eighth attempt

Nigel Farage becomes Reform MP on eighth attempt

After eight attempts at becoming an MP, Nigel Farage has finally been elected to parliament with more than 20,000 votes.

In his victory speech, he outlined his plans for a "mass national movement" and declared Reform UK was now "coming for Labour".

Jeremy Corbyn holds Islington North seat following Labour deselection

He won 24,120 votes as an independent candidate, compared to 16,873 voters for the Labour candidate.

Corbyn said the result was a "resounding message" from voters that "they want something better".

RESULT: Sir Iain Duncan Smith remains Tory MP

The seat was one to watch after Faiza Shaheen made headlines for losing out on standing on the Labour ticket. Both her and the actual Labour candidate - Shama Tatler - garnered some 12,000 votes each, compared to Smith's 17,281 votes.

RESULT: Grant Shapps ousted in Welwyn Hatfield by Labour

The defence secretary only gathered 16,078 votes, compared to Labour's Andrew Lewin who won with 19,877 votes.

In his concession speech, the former transport secretary claimed the party had "tried the patience of traditional Conservative voters", adding they had taken the view that "if you can't agree with each other, then we can't agree to vote for you".

RESULT: Keir Starmer holds Holborn and St Pancras

And if the exit poll is correct, he'll be our next prime minister in a matter of hours...

We're more than 10 per cent of the way through the results...

How are you holding up? Here's where things stand at present:

Labour: 63

Conservatives: 3

Liberal Democrats: 2

Reform: 1

584 seats are yet to be declared.

RESULTS: Labour's Angela Rayner and Emily Thornberry hold seats

If the exit poll is correct, then they'll be deputy prime minister and attorney general in the Labour government.

RESULT: Ed Davey holds Kingston and Surbiton

The Liberal Democrat leader said in his victory speech that he has "rather enjoyed this campaign" - in a reference to his many publicity stunts - but adds that the highlight was not the "paddle boarding or bungee jumping" but "speaking to people".

RESULT: George Galloway ousted as Rochdale MP in Labour gain

He was only elected to parliament as a Workers' Party MP in February, in a controversial by-election result which was criticised by Rishi Sunak in a speech from Downing Street.

Paul Waugh is the new MP for Labour.

Reactions pour in after Lee Anderson's win: 'I don't want to ever go to Ashfield'

Twitter hasn't reacted well to Lee Anderson becoming Reform UK's first MP, with one user claiming people are "absolutely allowed to judge people" who voted for him.

Another wrote that they "don't want to ever go to Ashfield", while a third commented those in Ashfield "shouldn't be allowed pointy scissors".

RESULT: Lee Anderson becomes first Reform UK MP

Lee Anderson, formerly a Conservative Party politician, has become Reform UK's first MP after winning in Ashfield with 17,062 votes.

In second place was the Labour candidate with 11,553 votes, followed by the Ashfield Independents candidate with 6,276 votes.

The Tory candidate finished fourth with 3,271 votes.

RESULTS ROUND-UP: Here's where things currently stand...

If we're being honest, we're struggling to keep up now as results are being declared every couple of minutes, so let's sum everything up with some easy numbers in terms of the current standing of the parties.

Labour: 25

Liberal Democrats: 2

Conservatives: 1

All other parties currently have 0 MPs.

622 seats are yet to be declared.

RESULT: Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves re-elected

Another big name re-elected just now, with Labour's Rachel Reeves staying on as Leeds West MP for 18,976 votes.

The candidate, who - if the exit poll is correct - will become the first female chancellor this week, said it was a "huge honour and a privilege" to be returned to parliament, and declared "the British people have voted for change".

RESULT: Labour take Darlington from Conservatives, with Peter Gibson ousted

Lola McEvoy is the new Labour MP for Darlington after securing 16,621 votes, compared to Tory incumbent Peter Gibson with 14,323 votes.

Unlike other constituencies where Reform UK finished second, they finished third here with 6,852 votes.

RESULT: Liberal Democrats take Harrogate and Knaresboorugh from Tories

Tom Gordon replaces Tory candidate Andrew Jones as MP for the constituency.

RESULT: Labour hold Gateshead Central and Whickham

Mark Ferguson is elected the MP for the new constituency, replacing the abolished Gateshead constituency represented by Labour's Ian Mearns.

And apologies - we seemed to have missed this one earlier.

RESULT: Labour hold South Shields

Emma Lewell-Buck remains Labour MP for the constituency.

Whatever happens tonight, we won't see the last of Nigel Farage

The former Ukip leader announced last month that he would not only stand in the Essex seaside town of Clacton for Reform UK, but would also take over from Richard Tice as leader, staying in post for at least the next five years.

Election recap: 'Are you two really the best we've got?'

This was a question from one audience member during the final BBC leaders’ debate which received applause from others around him.

Election recap: Rishi Sunak had a heated exchange with an audience member during his appearance on Question Time

The Conservative Party leader had a bit of a mare when he faced questions from the Question Time audience last month, not least when it came to the UK’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which the prime minister hinted he may pull the UK out of in order to allow his controversial Rwanda plan to go ahead without any legal issues.

Back in June 2022 the first planned Rwanda flight was called off after a last-minute intervention by the European Court of Human Rights, based in Strasbourg.

After one audience member pointed out that the only two nations in Europe not to be part of the ECHR are Russia and Belarus, Sunak replied: “Sir, with the greatest respect, we do not need a foreign court to tell us how to police our own borders and our security, right?

“I believe everything we’re doing is in compliance with our international obligations but if I’m put in a position where I’m forced to choose between those things, I’m going to put our country’s national security first every single time. And I make absolutely no apology about that.”

His response was met with cries of “shame” as the programme drew to a close.

Election recap: Penny Mordaunt was memed again after her ITV debate appearance

One day later, the same seven-person line-up from the BBC leaders’ debate moved over to ITV for their second election programme, and once again, Penny Mordaunt found herself mocked online as she fumed over the tax plans of other parties.

“Higher taxes, higher taxes, higher taxes, higher taxes, higher taxes, higher taxes,” she said, pointing at each representative as she went.

The remarks were ridiculed on stage by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who asked her: “What are you on about?”

RESULT: Labour hold Cramlington and Killingworth

Labour and Co-Operative candidate Emma Foody is now the MP for the newly created constituency seat of Cramlington and Killingworth in Northumberland, winning with 22,274 votes.

A lot of the constituency takes from the seats such as the now abolished constituency of Blyth Valley (which had Conservative Ian Levy as its MP before the change) and North Tyneside (previously held by Labour's Mary Glindon).

Levy finished third tonight with 8,592 votes, with Labour in first place and Reform UK in second with 9,454 votes.

Nigel Farage claims 'not a single representative' of Reform UK has appeared on results coverage - except they have

In the last hour, the Reform UK leader has commented on his party's performance in the election, saying in a video posted to Twitter/X: "This is going to be six million votes plus. This, folks, is huge."

He also criticised the "almost comical" TV coverage of the results, claiming "there's not a single representative on there of Reform UK".

Except, as political commentator Matthew Stadlen has pointed out, his deputy David Bull has already appeared on the BBC tonight...

Election recap: Starmer's 'father was a toolmaker' line was met with groans during Sky News' 'Battle for Number 10'

As the general election campaign picked up pace, common attack lines and soundbites surfaced which caused frustration among voters. The Tories attracted criticism for repeating the inaccurate £2,000 tax rises line about Labour, while Sir Keir Starmer was mocked for how much he peddled the fact that his dad was a toolmaker.

In one noticeable moment during Sky News’ election programme ‘The Battle with Number 10’, Starmer was met with laughter as he mentioned the fact about his father.

Responding to the audience reaction, he continued: “It’s true, my mum was a nurse, and actually, we couldn’t make ends meet, which actually isn’t a laughing matter.”

Election recap: The second leaders' debate saw memes about Penny Mordaunt's hair

Sunak and Starmer managed to enjoy a break from debating when the BBC aired their first election programme, as Penny Mordaunt was put forward for the Conservatives and Angela Rayner represented the Labour Party.

It was a seven-party debate, meaning the Scottish National Party, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, Green Party and Reform UK were also present on stage for the event, helmed by Mishal Hussain.

But one of the biggest attention-grabbing moments was Mordaunt's hair.

Nadine Dorries' appearance on Channel 4 is getting the meme treatment

Former culture secretary and Mid Bedfordshire MP Nadine Dorries is on Channel 4 tonight, joining a line-up of the likes of Emily Maitlis, Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell in digesting the results as they come through.

And already, the coverage has seen Campbell clash with Dorries over the latter's support for Boris Johnson, with the former I'm A Celebrity contestant accusing the Rest is Politics podcaster of making a "sexist" comment.

And in another clash, Campbell corrected Dorries' use of "less" to "fewer".

Awkward.

Ousted MP Robert Buckland issues scathing words to Tories as he slams 'personal agendas'

Not long after losing his Swindon South seat, Robert Buckland went further in his brutal analysis of the Conservatives' projected results in comments to the BBC.

In his concession speech after Labour's Heidi Alexander was announced as his successor, Buckland said his party "has to make the right choice" between bringing people together and accepting politics as a "mere circus".

Then, speaking to the BBC, he issued more critical comments about some of the actions of his fellow Tories, saying he is "fed up of personal agendas".

Ouch.

RESULT: Labour hold Newcastle Central

Labour's Chi Onwurah has been re-elected MP for Newcastle Central, with 18,875 votes.

RESULT: Labour hold Washington and Gateshead South

Sharon Hodgson has been re-elected as the Labour MP for Washington and Gateshead South, with 17,662 votes and Reform UK once again overtaking the Conservatives to finish in second place.

Election recap: The first leaders' debate took place more than a month ago today

Just to remind you of how quickly this election campaign period has flown by, exactly one month ago today, Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer had their first TV debate in the form of Sunak vs Starmer on ITV.

RESULT: Labour oust former justice secretary Robert Buckland in Swindon

Labour have gained their first seat of the night in Swindon South, with Heidi Alexander becoming the new MP for the constituency and ousting ex-justice secretary Robert Buckland.

She received 21,676 votes, while Buckland trailed behind with 12,070 votes.

Alexander said in her victory speech that she would represent the "whole community" in her constituency, and hoped her Tory rival's "contribution to public life continues".

Buckland shared similar warm words in his concession speak, saying he wanted to "genuinely wish her well", thanking his family for their support and describing his time as the MP as the "opportunity of my life"

The turnout was 61.92 per cent.

David Cameron didn't vote today

A bit of trivia for you as we wait for some more news to trickle through: Lord David Cameron, the current foreign secretary, didn’t cast a vote for the Conservatives - or indeed any other party - at all today.

Why? Well, the clue is in the ‘lord’ part, as all members of the House of Lords are barred from voting today.

RESULT: Labour hold Sunderland Central

Labour have held the seat of Sunderland Central, with candidate Lewis Atkinson replacing Julie Elliot as the MP for the constituency with 16,852 votes.

Reform ended up in second place yet again - this time with 10,779 votes - followed by the Conservative candidate with 5,731 votes, the Liberal Democrats with 3,602 votes and the Green Party with 2,993 votes.

The turnout was 52 per cent.

What's all this about a supermajority?

Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted he hadn’t “given up” on his party by warning of a Labour “supermajority” after polling day, but what exactly is that?

Borrowed from the US, it pertains to a majority vote of two-thirds - except the House of Commons doesn’t work like that.

Though if tonight's exit poll is accurate, then Labour certainly are set for a landslide result.

Who are some of the more unusual candidates standing for election?

Alongside seasoned regulars The Official Monster Raving Loony Party, this general election includes bizarre and satirical candidates such as Count Binface and YouTube prankster Niko Omilana (both standing in Rishi Sunak’s constituency of Richmond and Northallerton in Yorkshire), as well as a candidate for Brighton Pavilion who isn’t even an actual person.

While an actual human would attend Parliament and cast votes on its behalf, ‘AI Steve’ is artificial intelligence that wants constituents to propose and vote on policies, with the most popular ones championed by the chatbot as an MP.

Yes, really.

An awkward moment on the BBC's live coverage...

Steve Baker was one of the guests on the BBC's live election coverage not long after the election result was announced at 10pm, which not only projected a significant loss for his Conservative Party, but also stated that the Wycombe candidate has just a one per cent chance of keeping his seat.

And that was reported while he was in the studio - bit awkward.

Jake Brigstock has the story...

RESULT: Ian Lavery re-elected Labour MP for Blyth and Ashington constituency

Blyth has now declared, with Labour's Ian Lavery elected MP for Blyth and Ashington in Northumberland with more than 20,000 votes.

Labour bagged 20,030 votes, with Reform UK next with 10,857 votes.

The Conservatives were in third with 6,121 votes, followed by the Green Party with 1,960 votes and the Liberal Democrats in 1,433 votes.

RESULT: Sunderland is the first to declare, beating Northumberland in election race

Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson has been re-elected as the Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, in the first result from the 2024 general election which also saw Sunderland beat Blyth in Northumberland to be the first to announce.

They've defeated reigning Newcastle to share the results, which gave Phillipson a total of 18,837 votes with the Conservatives knocked down to third place (5,514) due to the Reform UK candidate (11,668).

The Liberal Democrats were next with 2,290 votes, and then the Green Party candidate came last with 1,723 votes.

The turnout was 51 per cent.

In her victory speech, Phillipson said: "The British people have chosen change. They have chosen Labour and they have chosen the leadership of Keir Starmer."

Which seats are the ones to watch this evening?

Despite the boundary changes which come into effect for this election, there will still be 650 MPs elected to the House of Commons once all the results have been declared - but it’ll be tricky focussing all of your attention on every single one of those seats, so which ones have the potential to be the most dramatic and are worth keeping an eye on?

First up, polling agency YouGov has suggested a number of cabinet ministers could lose their seats tonight, with two big names on the list being chancellor Jeremy Hunt and defence secretary Grant Shapps.

Business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch, long mentioned as a potential leader for the Conservatives following Sunak’s likely defeat, is also at risk - as is senior Tory and GB News host Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Even Sunak’s seat has been mentioned as a constituency which could see its incumbent MP booted out.

What with Nigel Farage trying for the eighth time to become an elected Member of Parliament this evening, it will obviously be worth looking out for the results from the Essex town of Clacton to see if it goes to Reform UK.

While Labour are expected to scoop up a significant number of seats tonight, there is one seat where a political party could actually gain from Sir Keir Starmer’s party - that’s in Bristol Central, where Thangam Debbonaire faces a challenge from Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer.

It’ll also be worth watching out for those who have been denied the opportunity to stand for Labour - who are now standing as independents - and seeing just how well they perform. Two high profile examples of this are Faiza Shaheen (taking on Sir Iain Duncan Smith in Chingford and Woodford Green) and Jeremy Corbyn (defending his seat in Islington North).

As for the Liberal Democrats, a swing of just 0.64 per cent to their party would see them clinch the London seat of Carshalton and Wallington from Tory candidate Elliot Coburn.

And considering the incredibly likely victory for Starmer’s Labour this evening, a pressing question - as Farage has pointed out throughout the campaign - is exactly who will form the official opposition in the Commons.

Will the Tories secure enough seats in the face of a possible 1997-like wipeout to be the second biggest party, or could the Liberal Democrats sneak through?

Election recap: And the Lib Dems had a good time being silly

Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey soon got the meme treatment while out on the campaign trail, as the politician made a number of headlines for falling into Lake Windemere, going down a slip-n-slide and conducting an interview in the teacups at Thorpe Park - all publicity stunts to get his party in the papers.

But there was another reason behind it. In an interview for Channel 4 News’ The Political Forecast, deputy leader Daisy Cooper explained their strategy was that they “either have to be … fast, funny or new”.

And it seems the stunts have paid off, as the exit poll projects more than 60 seats for the party, up from 53.

Election recap: Reform also had some issues with candidates...

Nigel Farage’s party has had to contend with two candidate defections to the Conservatives amid a racism row, with Liam Booth-Isherwood stepping down in Erewash over “reports of widespread racism and sexism in Reform causing a “significant moral issue within certain elements of the party”, and West Ham and Beckton candidate Georgie David dropping out with claims the “vast majority” of candidates for Reform UK are “racist, misogynistic and bigoted”.

It follows a number of shocking remarks made by Reform UK candidates and campaigners, including one claiming the UK should have “taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality” and an undercover report from Channel 4 News capturing one party activist calling Rishi Sunak a racial slur.

And in other news...

A dissolution honours list has been published today as well, with former prime minister and MP Theresa May and the former head of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs Sir Graham Brady both getting peerages.

Elsewhere, ex-health and social care secretary Thérèse Coffey has been made a dame, and Scottish secretary Alister Jack has been given an OBE.

Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer thank party campaigners after exit poll

Both party leaders have posted thank you messages to social media in the past hour after a day of encouraging people to back their candidates.

Rishi Sunak wrote: "To the hundreds of Conservative candidates, thousands of volunteers and millions of voters:

"Thank you for your hard work, thank you for your support, and thank you for your vote."

Meanwhile Sir Keir Starmer tweeted: "To everyone who has campaigned for Labour in this election, to everyone who voted for us and put their trust in our changed Labour Party - thank you."

The results haven't come in yet, but the memes certainly have...

Social media users have reacted with memes and jubilation after the exit poll commissioned by the BBC, ITV and Sky News projected a Labour landslide with 410 seats, while the Tories are predicted to suffer a devastating slump to just 131 MPs.

Jake Brigstock has rounded up 16 of the very best memes emerging already...

Election recap: Labour was marred by controversy over left-wing candidates...

What with Jeremy Corbyn being expelled from the Labour Party, he’s standing in Islington North tonight as an independent candidate, and he’s just one of the party’s former or current left-wing politicians who has caused a bit of a headache for the Labour leadership, as they faced accusations of a “purge” of candidates who are more left-leaning.

Faiza Shaheen is standing as an independent candidate in Sir Iain Duncan Smith’s Chingford and Woodford Green constituency after being blocked from standing for Labour, while former Brighton Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle accused Labour of being a “sacrificial lamb” after he was suspended over a complaint he described as “vexatious and politically motivated”.

Though arguably the most high-profile fallout over candidate selections concerned whether Hackney’s Diane Abbott would represent Labour following her suspension over a letter published in the Observer which suggested Jewish people are not subjected to the same racism as other minorities.

Election recap: For the Tories, it was a campaign full of painful gaffes and scandals...

Where to begin with the number of election gaffes for the Conservative Party during this campaign period?

Sunak announced the election in the rain, chatted to Welsh people about the Euros when their team didn’t even qualify, headed to the Titanic Quarter in Northern Ireland for media interviews, showed off some terrible football skills, was slammed for wearing a £750 backpack while visiting one of the UK’s poorest areas, had people rolling their eyes at him in the background of his election speeches, got caught looking like Mickey Mouse as he clamped down on ‘Mickey Mouse degrees’, and tried to attack Labour’s plans for government on TikTok, only for this to backfire spectacularly.

Then there was the betting scandal - which has seen candidates from both the Conservatives and the Labour Party being suspended by their leadership as they face investigations from the Gambling Commission.

However, arguably the most controversial blunder for the Tories surrounded D-Day commemorations last month, when Sunak decided to leave the event in Normandy early, just so he could make an interview with ITV’s Tonight programme to talk about the general election.

Election recap: It was the first election to play out on TikTok

Both Labour and the Conservatives launched their TikTok accounts during this general election, but how strong was their social media game?

Sinead Butler has taken a look...

Election recap: Let's remember where it all began...

Boosted by promising inflation figures, Sunak stepped outside No 10 on 22 May, in the pouring rain, to announce the country would head to the polls to vote in its next government on 4 July.

He then proceeded to talk about his Conservative government’s record, but social media users were far more amused by the fact that Sunak’s suit was getting soaked and the faint sounds of “Things Can Only Get Better” by D:Ream could be heard in the background, courtesy of ‘Stop Brexit’ campaigner Steve Bray.

Two results coming soon - the Newcastle and Sunderland race

Things will be pretty quiet for a while now, as most results will likely come through on Friday in the early hours, but two areas of England love to battle it out to be the first to declare: Newcastle and Sunderland.

Sunderland previously enjoyed a pretty lengthy stint as the first constituency to declare, claiming the prestigious title from 1992 to 2015, according to the BBC.

However, an upset came in 2017 when Newcastle secured a win with a gap of just nine minutes. They won again in 2019, so will 2024 be a hat trick?

We might not have to wait too long to find out, as last time around Sunderland called the seat for Labour at 11:27pm.