General election 2019 live: Exit poll predicts huge Tory majority - follow results now

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Boris Johnson is on course for an historic landslide victory after an exit poll predicted an 86-seat Conservative majority.

The Tories are predicted to win 368 seats – 50 up on 2017 – in their best result since 1987.

On a catastrophic night for Labour, Jeremy Corbyn’s party was predicted to end the day with just 191 seats, down 71 on the last election in their worst result since 1935.

If the prediction proves to be correct, it will mean the Prime Minister can forge ahead with his plan to get Britain out of the European Union by Jan 31, with a vote on his deal possible before Christmas.

It would also mean Mr Corbyn is almost certain to announce his resignation as Labour leader today, with John McDonnell reportedly lined up as a caretaker replacement.

Mr Corbyn has now cemented his place as the least popular and least successful Labour leader in modern history, far outstripping Michael Foot’s disastrous performance in 1983. Labour was likely to be wiped out in many of its former heartlands as the Tories broke through the “red wall” in the Midlands and the North.

1:19AM

Shadow minister Khalid Mahmood calls for Jeremy Corbyn to go

The Shadow Europe Minister has urged the Labour leader to step down, attacking his "weak" Brexit policy, Asa Bennett reports.

He said the party needed to "think about our policies, where we went wrong and move forward".

He said:  "We have to look at the whole leadership, and see where we went wrong. The message was not right. We have to rebuild the whole of the leadership and see how we can get Boris Johnson and hold him to account

"Our message wasn't able to get through. Our message on Brexit was weak. people didn't understand it. What we have got to do is to be stronger to hold [the Tories] to account."

1:16AM

Labour concede in Bishop Auckland

Helen Goodman, who has been the Labour MP for Bishop Auckland since 2005 has conceded her seat to Conservative candidate Dehenna Davison, Jessica Carpani reports.

Following the exit polls the two were caught hugging as Ms Goodman told Ms Davison the news.

Ms Davison in a velvet bottle-green suit and nude stilettos towered over her predecessor who wore a navy dress and boots.

Since 1935 Bishop Auckland has been a stronghold for Labour, until tonight.

For the first time since pre-war, Labour look to have been toppled by the Conservatives.

The news of the loss for Labour comes as no major surprise with much of constituency voting Leave in the Brexit referendum, left disillusioned by Remain-voting Ms Davison.

At the last Election in 2017, just 502 votes separated Labour and Tories here.

1:13AM

James Cleverly addresses CCHQ

The jubilant Party Chairman tells the team "we're in the world of good news" and thanks them for their efforts.

1:10AM

Recount in Labour chair Ian Lavery’s seat of Wansbeck

The constituency was too close to call in the exit poll. Mr Lavery secured a majority of 10,435 in the 2017 election.

1:07AM

Still no sign of Dennis Skinner at the Bolsover count

The Telegraph's Joe Shute reports that there are some grim faces in Labour rosettes wandering the corridors.

Should 87-year-old Mr Skinner lose the seat he has held since 1970,  as the exit poll suggests, then Peter Bottomley, elected at a by-election in 1975 would be the new father of the house (the title awarded to the longest serving male MP).

In an interview he gave two years ago Mr Skinner insisted he had no designs on assuming the role previously occupied by the former Conservative MP Ken Clarke.

"That's not for me," he said.

1:02AM

Sterling enjoys biggest surge in a decade as exit poll points to Tory majority

The pound has enjoyed its biggest surge in a decade as the City cheered predictions of a strong Conservative majority that would finally end the Brexit deadlock, Tom Rees writes.

Investors piled into sterling after the exit poll suggested Boris Johnson would be given a majority strong enough to put to bed the uncertainty plaguing businesses and the economy.

Follow the latest on the live blog here:

12:59AM

DUP braced for a kicking in at least three seats

There is more trouble for the DUP on the horizon tonight as they appear more and more at risk of losing three seats, including that of deputy leader Nigel Dodds, James Rothwell in Belfast writes.

The party has effectively given up on South Belfast, where Emma Little-Pengelly is widely believed to lose her seat.

But in North Belfast the result is too close to call and there are rumours that the Alliance has performed very strongly in North Down, which was expected to sail into the DUP's arms after Lady Hermon stood down as an independent MP.

Dropping to only seven seats would add insult to injury, following the party's near-total loss of power over Boris Johnson, as indicated by the exit poll and strong early results for the Tories.

The DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson put on a brave face earlier as he insisted that the party would continue to play a big role in Westminster politics.

He said: "The DUP will be there, seeking to use our influence - this is my seventh parliament now, I have been in a situation before where the Government has a large majority, this doesn't mean the smaller parties are without influence."

12:56AM

'A big majority would be a victory for Boris Johnson, Brexit and everyone slandered by the far-Left'

The Telegraph's Tim Stanley explains why he just "did a little dance in the newsroom" in this new comment piece.

If the exit poll proves to be correct, he writes that this would mean vindication for Boris Johnson and victory for Brexit.

Read more here:

12:47AM

Corbynista election party turns sour

The early results have seen the mood turn from bad to worse at a Corbynista election night party in Jeremy Corbyn’s home turf of Islington, The Telegraph's Luke Mintz reports.

One middle-aged man described the likely Tory victory as a “disaster for our country” and a “win for lies, hatred, bigotry, racism”. Another supporter spoke of “a fascist creep” across Europe.

The most striking part of the night is the anger directed towards the BBC’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, who was met with widespread booing when she appeared on TV earlier.

Laurence Byrar, a Labour campaigner, came to the party sporting a Father Christmas hat but said the result may well ruin his festive season: “I’m gutted, I didn’t think Labour would get a majority but I was optimistic for a Hung Parliament. It’s the hope that kills you.”

12:45AM

Labour figures react to exit poll

The party's former general secretary Iain McNicoldescribes it as "heartbreaking", while defending MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston Justin Madders says the party needs to be honest about the "catastrophic defeat".

12:40AM

Gina Miller says if exit poll is correct then we 'will be out' of the EU

The anti-Brexit campaigner said if the exit poll proves to be correct then the UK "will be out" of the EU and there will not be a second referendum.

Ms Miller, a lawyer who has campaigned against the government's Brexit strategy, said: "I don't think there'll be another vote. It will get passed as an Act of Parliament, it will then be ratified as an international treaty and we will be out."

12:38AM

Things get heated in Uxbridge

Tempers are flaring in Boris Johnson's constituency, as Count Binface and Lord Buckethead tussle over the limelight.

The Prime Minister's seat could be under threat if voters listen to Lord Buckethead.

12:26AM

Gareth Snell concedes he's lost and calls for Jeremy Corbyn to stand down

The Labour incumbent for Stoke-on-Trent Central said: "It's disastrous, the exit poll is a catastrophe."

He described his party's poor performance in the exit polls as a "lovely and toxic combination" of the party's inability to stop Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn's unpopularity on the doorstep.

Mr Snell said that it is time for the Labour leader and John McDonnell to stand down.

12:24AM

Labour in Sunderland Central

Julie Elliott, the Labour candidate for Sunderland Central, has had majority reduced to 3,000 from 10,000:

12:22AM

'Jeremy Corbyn bigger issue than Brexit', Wes Streeting says

12:21AM

Momentum say 'shorter, snappier manifesto' needed

Jon Lansman of Momentum on ITV: "It is all very well saying that the policies have been rejected but how do you explain that the poll that in Putney there is a 85 per cent of a labour vote? So the voters in Putney are not horrified by the policies. Jeremy Corbyn in my view has achieved a great deal on austerity - he has completely changed the narrative."

Mr Lansman added that Labour's policies in its manifesto were popular.

"I think that the policies in the [Labour] manifesto are popular. this is the extension of the policies that were very popular in 2017. Maybe the manifesto was too long and detailed. I think it's a good programme. but maybe we need shorter snappier manifesto."

12:17AM

Nicholas Soames says Boris Johnson is more than a Brexit PM

"I don't think the PM is solely a Brexit prime minister, I think he is a proper one-nation Tory," the former Tory rebel said.

"I think he persuaded in a lot of seats in the north and Midlands and elsewhere that the Labour Party was not the Labour Party they once knew and were happy with. I think it is an extraordinary change."

Sir Nicholas, the grandson of Winston Churchill who had the Tory whip restored in late October after he initially had it removed for rebelling against the government earlier this year, added that he believed the Tory party was going to "be a different party if you look at the complexion of the seats it's going to represent".

"It was an astonishing result in Blyth Valley," he said.

He predicted that such a "political watershed" could "build a new Conservative majority across Britain for a generation".

"This election is an extraordinary result and proves that this type of Toryism is extremely popular"

12:13AM

Newcastle wins race to be the first to declare election results beating Sunderland

12:09AM

'Corbyn was a disaster on the doorstep', says Alan Johnson

The former Labour Home Secretary tells ITV:

12:04AM

Christmas isn't cancelled

BBC's Laura Kuenssberg says the Tories plan to ensure everyone can enjoy their Christmas:

11:57PM

Sammy Wilson admits DUP can't change Brexit deal

The East Antrim MP has admitted the DUP is powerless to stop Boris Johnson's Brexit deal sailing through Parliament, but claimed the party would still influence future trade talks with the EU, James Rothwell in Belfast, writes.

He told the BBC that Brexiteers were still unhappy with the deal, as "it still has us paying into Europe, it still has the  European Court of Justice making judgements which will pertain and apply to the UK."

As for whether the DUP has lost all its power, Mr Wilson said: "It hasn't gone totally, yes when it comes to the bill we will not have the numbers but don't forget the full deal is not completed."

He added that he was aware of several Tory MPs who may allow the Withdrawal Agreement to pass through parliament but then oppose the Prime Minister if his subsequent trade deal falls short of their expectations.

11:55PM

Farage to campaign for Donald Trump next year

The Brexit Party leader said he will spend some time next year as a warm-up speaker for Donald Trump’s campaign rallies, as the polls predicted his party will not win a single seat.

Full story here

11:51PM

Johnson the 'most solitarily powerful PM' since Thatcher

George Osborne, the former Chancellor, told ITV News that Boris Johnson "will be an extremely powerful prime minister".

He added: "Certainly the most solitarily powerful PM the Conservatives have had since Margaret Thatcher."

11:47PM

Zac Goldsmith likely to be the only big beast to go

11:46PM

'Smear and Fear'

Labour has ordered members of the shadow cabinet and other MPs to blame the party's predicted heavy defeat on Boris Johnson's "smear and fear" campaign, Bill Gardner writes.

A leaked memo shows that senior Labour figures have been told to admit in interviews that they must "learn lessons from this defeat" by paying more regard to "lifelong Labour voters who we lost in working class communities".

Reportedly penned by Seamus Milne, Labour's director of communications, the memo instructs MPs to say:

The memo continues: "It has obviously been very difficult to reach across the divide created by the Tory failure over Brexit, as Labour honourably tried to do.

"It is encouraging that so many members saw through the smear and fear campaign. But Labour will have to learn lessons from this defeat, above all by listening to those lifelong Labour voters who we lost in working class communities."

11:42PM

Hartlepool count

Counting is now underway in Hartlepool as the returning officer announces there have been 41,155 cast this time round, a 58.08% turn out, down from 65.50% in 2017,  Mason Boycott-Owen writes.

The Conservative Party candidate, Stefan Houghton, told the Telegraph: "The Brexit Party situation has muddied the waters a bit, it's a bit early to tell, but we're optimistic."

The Labour candidate for Hartlepool, Mike Hill, has told reporters that he would not be speaking to press until after the last vote had been counted.

In a few hours time we will see whether the recent blitz of Brexit Party campaigning in the seat and the resurfacing of sexual assault allegations made againt the Labour candidate have cost him re-election.

11:33PM

Blyth Valley results are in and it is a win for the Conservatives - that is hugely significant

The seat has been held by Labour since 1950. 

Labour: 16728

Lib Dems: 2151

Green: 1146

Conservative: 17440

Brexit Party: 3394

11:31PM

Watch: Nigel Farage reacts to the exit poll result

11:27PM

Newcastle Central results in:

• Labour: 21,568

• Tory: 9,290

• Lib Dem 2,709

• Brexit: 2542

Labour win for first seat declared

11:25PM

DUP loses grip on Brexit

James Rothwell reports in from Belfast writes:

The DUP's grip on the Brexit process appears to be over in the wake of tonight's exit poll, which suggests the Tories are on course for a huge majority.

For the past three years the DUP, which is implacably opposed to Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, has wielded significant power over Brexit due to its confidence and supply agreement with the Tories.

But with the Tories on course to win around 360 seats, the chances of Mr Johnson needing to rely on DUP votes are now close to zero. It also means that, as outlined in Mr Johnson's deal, Northern Ireland risks risk being cut off from the rest of the UK with a customs and regulatory border.

Experts have warned that this will lead to checks on goods which could hamper Northern Ireland's economy.

Many unionists are also concerned that an Irish sea border will undermine Northern Ireland's constitutional integrity.

The seat being most closely watched here in Northern Ireland is Belfast North, where Nigel Dodds, the DUP's deputy leader, is under pressure from Sinn Fein. The result is expected around 2am.

11:20PM

Watch the moment John McDonnell says 'decisions will be made'

11:17PM

Labour's worst defeat since 1935

The scale of Labour’s defeat predicted by the shock exit poll would leave the party with the fewest number of seats since the 1935 election, Bill Gardner writes. 

11:16PM

Indy ref 2 not inevitable, Michael Gove says

Michael Gove said he did not believe another independence referendum was inevitable, Izzy Lyons writes. 

"Quite the opposite," he told ITV news.

Read all of Gove's comments and follow live news on Scotland results here.

11:07PM

Workington could go to the Tories

Ben Page, Chief Executive of Ipsos Mori, wwho conducted the exit poll, said it was "very unlikely" the data was "wrong enough to mean that the Conservatives have not got a large majority".

"If the poll is correct, and I have no reason to believe it isn't, we will see dozens of seats going to the Conservatives," he said.

"The scale of this victory looks like even seats like Ashfield and Workington will switch to the Conservatives."

11:04PM

William Hill odds on that Jeremy Corbyn's gone by the start of 2020 with Keir Starmer as next Labour leader

“If the exit poll is correct then Jeremy Corbyn looks likely to be gone by the start of January,” said William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams

The bookies are odds on at 1/2 that the Labour leader will be gone by the start of next year, with Keir Starmer  2/1 to be the next leader.

They added that there are a number of strong female candidates and Hills are offering 4/7 that the next Labour leader is female.

10:58PM

The Red Wall has come down

If the Exit Poll is correct then Britain's Red Wall may be no more, Janet Daley writes.  

Labour has lost its birthright to the working class vote.

But the size of the majority must also mean that many, many Remainers did the gracious thing and admitted that in a democracy, the minority must honour the will of the majority.

Read the full piece here

10:54PM

Big names forecast to lose their seat according to Telegraph forecaster

The Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson is on course to lose her seat of East Dunbartonshire to the SNP according to the Telegraph's seat forecaster, with a certainty of 53.1 per cent, Joshua Wilson writes. 

Also set to lose her seat is Change UK leader Anna Soubry, with the Tories on course to take the seat with a certainty of 53.2 per cent. Ms Soubry was elected as the Conservative MP for Broxtowe in 2017 before defecting to join the Independent group for change.

Former Conservative MP David Gauke, who is standing as an independent after having the Tory Party whip removed, is also predicted to lose his seat to the Conservatives according to our forecaster.

10:48PM

Reaction from the EU

A gasp echoed round the press bar in the European Council summit building as journalists gathered to watch the exit polls, James Crisp, Brussels Correspondent, writes. 

There was a realisation that after more than three years of painful, torturous negotiation that the end of the Brexit torment was in sight.

With his majority, if the exit polls are proved correct, Mr Johnson will be able to ratify the Withdrawal Agreement and Britain will leave the EU on January 31, 2020.

The possibility of a hung parliament or a Labour victory, which could have further prolonged the Brexit uncertainty, had faded into the distance.

Meanwhile EU leaders continued tough negotiations over climate change in the Europa building in Brussels. They were kept informed of developments over the Channel but plan to keep any reaction to a minimum until the results are confirmed.

10:47PM

How accurate is the Exit Poll?

In its earlier years the exit poll was often less accurate with its predictions than it is today, Data Journalist, Josh Wilson writes. 

For example, in 1974 the BBC exit poll predicted a Labour majority of 132, but the actual result saw them win a majority of just three.

Similarly, in 1992 both the BBC and the ITN exit poll called the result as a hung Parliament with the Conservatives 41 and 49 seats short of a majority respectively, but the actual result saw a surprise win for John Major and a 21 seat majority for the Tories.

However the BBC did come remarkably close in 1983 when they were only one seat out in their predictions for the Labour and Conservative seat totals.

More recently the exit polls have generally been very accurate. The exit poll has been correct in four out of the last five elections (2001, 2005, 2010 and 2017), with the exception being 2015 when it incorrectly indicated a hung Parliament.

10:44PM

Jess Phillips says she is heartbroken

The Labour candidate for Birmingham Yardley says:

There are very few words for how heartbroken I am for the community I represent who have been through enough.

10:42PM

Jeremy Corbyn is to blame, Labour candidates say

Labour candidates put the blame on their leader, Jeremy Corbyn, after the exit poll results came out, Helena Horton writes.

Siobhain McDonagh, the candidate for Morden, said: "this is one mans fault. His campaign, his manifesto, his leadership. Jeremy Corbyn."

Margaret Hodge, for Barking and Dagenham wrote: "Deliberately misreading the exit poll from McDonnell. If this bears out, this is the utter failure of Corbyn & Corbynism. There is no other way of looking at it."

Louise Haigh, Labour Candidate for Sheffield Heeley and Shadow Policing & Crime Minister, hinted that the Labour party would have to change, tweeting: "Devastating exit poll, almost too awful to contemplate the damage another five years of Tory rule will do to our country. "If remotely accurate we have enormous lessons to learn how, after nearly a decade of Tory rule, people could not envisage Labour as the vehicle for change."

10:40PM

Shadow Chancellor says he believes Labour is 'centre left'

John McDonnell appears to be in denial when interviewed moments after news of the exit poll broke last night, Christopher Hope writes. 

Mr McDonnell refused to accept that what looks like a heavy defeat was the fault of his left wing policies.

He told BBC 1: "Brexit has dominated. We had thought other issue would cut through and there would be a wider debate. From this evidence it clearly wasn't.

"The big issue was Brexit and it sounded like people wanted a decision. Even those who voted Remain got frustrated and said 'lets get this out of the way now'."

Asked if it were time to return Labour to the "centre left", Mr McDonnell said:

10:35PM

Thanks from Boris Johnson

10:34PM

Dismay in  East Dunbartonshire

At the Leisuredrome in Bishopbriggs, where Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson was defending her 5,339 majority, the exit poll was greeted with dismay by her supporters, Judith Woods writes.

Early predictions that she may have lost her East Dunbartonshire seat saw party officials remain tight lipped.

An SNP official said “She’s been beaten before and if it happens again it will be because she’s been going round the country and never mentioned her own constituency once. That lack of loyalty won’t go unpunished.”

10:31PM

A sigh of relief in Uxbridge

Telegraph reporter, Eleanor Steafel, reports in from Boris Johnson's seat:

There was a sharp intake of breath among Conservative activists outside the Prime Minister’s count as the exit polls came in.

Conservative party volunteer Gareth Milner said: “We’ve been cautiously optimistic. But I should think there will be cheering back at CCHQ right now.”

“I was not expecting that,” said another Conservative volunteer. “For that exit poll to be wrong it’d have to be so far out. This is looking good.”

10:28PM

'Decisions will be made in the morning'

Asked if he would resign in the morning, the Shadow Chancellor said: "Decisions will be made then... We will always make them in the interests of the party".

10:22PM

Barry Gardiner says his heart goes out to Labour supporters

The Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade said the Exit Poll was "a deeply depressing prediction".

He said his "heart goes out to all the people who had given their hope to the labour party".

He added that  “the leadership of the party will be discussing these things in the next few days”.

10:19PM

John Bercow says the result is 'phenomenal' for Tories

The former Speaker has said that if the exit poll turns out to be true then Boris Johnson could get phase 1 of Brexit done and dusted by the end of January:

10:17PM

Follow the Telegraph's live seat by seat forecaster

Don't forget to follow our live forecaster throughout the night.

It will be bringing you news of each seat once it gets fully counted. 

10:16PM

The vibe in Islington

Telegraph reporter Luke Mintz reports in from The Lexington pub:

The groans were overwhelming when the exit poll was announced at a Corbynista election night party in the Labour leader’s home turf of Islington.

Just minutes before, some of the Labour supporters were talking of a “quiet optimism” - but that evaporated when 10pm struck. “That’s so much worse than I thought,” was a common refrain.

“I expected something but I didn’t expect it that bad,” was another.

One young man said: “Corbyn’s got to go if the results are that bad.”

10:13PM

Tory manifesto 2019

Following the news that Boris Johnson is on course to secure a huge majority, why not remind yourself what the Tory manifesto promised:

Read here

10:04PM

Sterling surges 2% as exit poll points to Tory majority

Follow The Telegraph's business live blog for full reaction from the markets.

10:01PM

Conservative majority predicted

10:00PM

Exit poll result

The first prediction of the potential outcome of the election is here.

• Tory: 368

• Labour: 191

9:57PM

Exit poll ...

Will be published in a little over 2 minutes.

Hold tight...

9:54PM

Boris Johnson stayed out late to get as many people as he could to vote

9:27PM

Constituency by constituency

If you are wondering what time  the results for your constituency will be in, here are the estimated declaration times:

9:15PM

What does it mean if I am still queuing to vote at 10pm?

9:04PM

John Curtice's election predictions: the MPs who could lose their seats

The general election has been billed as the poll that could change the political landscape for the long-term.

Here Sir John Curtice, the veteran psephologist, sets out 10 constituencies to watch and half a dozen big beasts who could lose their seats in today's general election.

Read the full piece here

8:56PM

Our guide to election night 2019:

Seats to watch, declaration times, and TV coverage, read here to find out our recommendations of what to watch.

8:51PM

Where is Nigel Farage?

All the party leaders have been spotted today.

Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn and Jo Swinson were all pictured at polling stations with their significant others  or - in Mr Johnson's case - Dilyn the dog.

All but one - the Brexit Party leader hasn't been seen at all.

Our sources suggest he might still be up north after campaign events yesterday.

Nigel, our inbox is open. Where are you?

8:37PM

Pound gets the jitters in final hour

With time ticking until voting hours are over (10pm), the pound has started to fall against the dollar and the euro, LaToya Harding writes.

The election jitters are kicking in!

It is currently 0.96pc down against the dollar at $1.3072 and 0.72pc lower against the euro at €1.3072.

Read more on LaToya's business live blog.

8:32PM

The 12 seats to watch tonight

Tonight, all eyes will turn to the so-called bellweather seats, which point which way the country is going.

These seats show the effect of uniform national swing, which is a way of working out the general direction of travel of the UK's 650 constituencies.

There are 12 we will be watching, which have correctly predicted every election since 1979.

Read about them here.

8:29PM

Polls closing at 10pm

We're into the final push now. In a lot of seats, the result will have already been decided. Still deciding?