Election 2017 live updates: Theresa May claims Conservative government supported by DUP will provide 'certainty'

Theresa May has said she will form a Conservative government backed by the DUP, claiming it can bring "certainty" to the UK.

After visiting the Queen, the Prime Minister claimed there was a "strong relationship" between the two parties, amid concern over the DUP's controversial anti-abortion and anti-LGBT policies.

The PM has also apologised to Conservatives who lost last night. She said: "I'm sorry for all those colleagues who lost their seats." She will "reflect on what we need to do in the future to take the party forward" after the result, she added.

The UK voted for a hung parliament after shock losses for the Conservatives in the 2017 general election. With 649 of 650 seats declared, the Tories had 318 seats - eight short of the figure needed to win outright - with Labour on 261, the SNP on 35 and Liberal Democrats on 12.

Jeremy Corbyn's party increase its share of the vote by 9.6 per cent, while the Tories were up 5.5 per cent, the Liberal Democrats, Greens and SNP saw small loses and Ukip's vote collapsed.

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Politicians, voters, and even their pets have been heading to polling stations and are posing for the cameras at every opportunity.

The Prime Minister has made clear that she would rely on the support of the Democratic Unionist Party in order to get her programme through Parliament, despite concern over its stance on issues including equal marriage, abortion and climate change.

Making no allusion to losses suffered by the Conservatives, Ms May said she intended to press ahead with her plans for Brexit.

She faced calls from within her own party to consider her own position after the election, which she brought forward by three years in the hope it would deliver an increased majority in the Commons.

Jeremy Corbyn urged her to resign and allow him to form a minority administration, declaring: “We are ready to serve this country.”

But, after intensive talks with the DUP, the Prime Minister instead drove the short distance to Buckingham Palace to ask the Queen for permission to form a new government.

The final election results came in late on Friday, after Kensington finally declared a Labour win — with a tiny 20-vote majority. They were:

Samuel Osborne8 June 2017 22:56

Samuel Osborne8 June 2017 22:56

Lib Dem president Baroness Brinton said her party could not work with either Labour or the Tories as both are pushing for a "hard Brexit".

She told Sky News: "A coalition is not on the cards, not just because of the 2015 result but because of big policy differences."

Kristin Hugo8 June 2017 22:58

Labour to secure bigger increase in seats than under Tony BlairLabour will increase its seats for the first time since 1997, according to the exit poll. The party has gradually been losing seats since Tony Blair's landslide result in 1997. That included two elections when Labour was led by Mr Blair himself – in 2001 and 2005, the party lost seats.

Samuel Osborne8 June 2017 23:00

NEWCASTLE: LABOUR HOLD

Liberal Democrats - 1.812

Conservative 9,134 

UKIP 1.482 

Labour 24071

Kristin Hugo8 June 2017 23:01

Theresa May has 'failed in her objective' unless exit poll is 'incredibly wrong' says election guru John CurticeTheresa May has "failed in her objective" of getting a big majority for the Conservative party unless the exit poll is "incredibly wrong", the UK's top political scientist has said. John Curtice, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde, said it was also likely that Labour would not be the largest party, however.

Samuel Osborne8 June 2017 23:02

Kristin Hugo8 June 2017 23:03

Labour just won and increased their vote by 2,000 in the first seat declaredLabour has held Newcastle upon Tyne Central, the first result to be declared in the general election, and increased its majority in the seat compared to 2015. More follows…

Samuel Osborne8 June 2017 23:04

Most remarkable aspect of the first result: Newcastle Central beat Sunderland to become the first seat to declare at 11pm with Labour candidate Chi Onwurah winning. In previous elections Sunderland has proudly held the record for being the first constituency to declare. 

Kristin Hugo8 June 2017 23:06

SUNDERLAND - LABOUR HOLD

GREEN 725 

LD 12,324 

UKIP 2,375 

LABOUR 24,000

Kristin Hugo8 June 2017 23:07

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