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
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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
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:
Here's the latest update from our business editor Josie Cox:
On a trading floor in the City of London, many looked a bit weary after pulling an all-nighters but the situation was much calmer than back in June after the Brexit vote.
This is from our reporter Jon Sharman in Richmond:
The political make-up of south-west London looked familiar on Friday morning after Liberal Democrat heavyweights Vince Cable and Ed Davey regained their seats and Conservative Zac Goldsmith clawed back a tiny 45 vote majority in Richmond Park, following two re-counts and a bundle check.
All three men are back where they were two years ago, if bruised by their earlier defeats - Mr Goldsmith maybe more so than the others.
Defeated Lib Dem Sarah Olney had campaigned against hard Brexit when she ousted Mr Goldsmith in last year's byelection, but it did not work a second time despite being a key message for Sirs Ed and Vince. Tory activists had said all night the Richmond Park contest was too close to call, and the result was not declared until after 7am.
Tories James Berry, in Kingston, and Tania Mathias, in Twickenham, had just two years in office before Theresa May called a snap election designed to boost her majority.
After a disastrous result of no overall majority for the Tories, her mandate was in serious question on Friday morning.
Asked who he thought should lead the Conservative Party, and potentially the country, Mr Goldsmith did not answer. Following the announcement he made straight for the next-door hotel.
It comes after Sir Vince told The Independent that while he would not countenance entering a coalition, parties could no longer "just shout at each other" and a more "consensual" approach would be needed.
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