As it happenedended

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

The Independent will be bringing you all the live updates as the UK's next government is formed

Friday 09 June 2017 06:52 EDT

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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.

The live blog has now ended

Who are the DUP?

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:

Out of 650 seats

Conservatives 318 (-13)

Labour 262 (+30)

SNP 35 (-21)

Lib Dems 12 (+4)

DUP 10 (+2)

Sinn Fein 7 (+3)

Plaid Cymru 4 (+1)

Green 1 (--)

Ukip 0 (-1)

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Kristin Hugo9 June 2017 04:37

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From our reporter Rachel Roberts in Hastings & Rye:

Home Secretary Amber Rudd’s political future is hanging in the balance with a full recount announced in her East Sussex constituency following a difficult campaign.

The Home Secretary remained tight-lipped, declining to speak to many members of the media who have descended on the seaside town of Hastings in anticipation of a possible “Portillo” moment.

Ms Rudd is defending a relatively slender majority of 4,796 in the seat which she won from Labour in 2010 when she entered politics.

Labour supporters in the sports hall cheered when they heard news of the recount announced shortly after 3.30am, perhaps almost tasting victory for their candidate, the borough council leader Peter Chowney who has something of a cult following in the area.

Ms Rudd has enjoyed a rapid political ascendency becoming only the third female Home Secretary in British history, and one of only five women to have held one of the “great offices of state”.

The Home Secretary played a prominent role in the election campaign, standing in for Prime Minister Theresa May in the key television debate between seven leaders or representatives of the main parties.

But Ms Rudd came under pressure following the devastating terror attacks in Manchester in London when it was revealed at least two of the jihadis had been on the radar of the security services but no action had been taken against them.

She came under fierce criticism over the UK’s arms deals with Saudi Arabia when she was attacked for allowing this by both the Greens and the Labour Party. Independent candidate for Hastings and Rye, Nicholas Wilson, complained he was “silenced” and “censored” when he tried to raise attention to arms dealings with the gulf state at a hustings at the weekend.

The Green Party did not stand a candidate in the seat to improve the chances of Mr Chowney in the hope of forming a so-called “progressive alliance” against the Tories.

Hastings is a largely working-class town, with Rye slightly more affluent. The constituency is Brexit-leaning, with 55 per cent voting to leave and 45 per cent wanting to remain. Ms Rudd played a prominent role in the Remain campaign, which could potentially have alienated her from some voters.

Ahead of the election, Hastings Tory councillor Robert Cooke said in relation to Theresa May’s campaign that, “the just about managing stuff works here.” As the clock ticks past 4.30am, Ms Rudd appears to be just about managing to keep her composure, with a more positive demeanour than she was showing earlier.