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 Theresa May's key quote on forming the new government:
“What the country needs more than ever is certainty and having secured the largest number of votes and the greatest number of seats in the General Election it is clear that only the Conservative and Unionist party has the legitimacy and ability to provide that certainty by commanding a majority in the House of Commons.
“As we do, we continue to work with our allies in the Democratic Unionist party in particular.
“Our two parties have enjoyed a strong relationship over many years and this gives me the confidence to believe that we will be able to work together in the interests of the whole United Kingdom.”
We have a new lunchtime edition out with all the latest news and insight on a momentous day in British politics.
Paul Nuttall stepped down as Ukip leader earlier and now he appears to have resigned from social media as well.
The failed parliamentary candidate's Twitter profile 'doesn't exist', according to the website.
An update on the ongoing count in Kensington, where the result was suspended earlier because the result was too close to call after several recounts.
There were reports the Tories had "written off" the affluent London seat, but its Labour candidate says she has not yet received any news.
Nigel Farage has claimed "personality, not policy" gave Jeremy Corbyn an edge over Theresa May in the campaign, calling the Prime Minister "wooden".
The former Ukip leader accused Ms May of "not believing in Brexit" and "going through the motions", claiming she had not sufficiently backed the vote to leave the EU after backing Remain.
Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, has congratulated Theresa May on her "reappointment as Prime Minister" and urged her to get back to Brexit. The letter said:
"Our shared responsibility and urgent task now is to conduct the negotiations on the UK's withdrawal from the European Union in the best possible spirit, securing the least disruptive outcome for our citizens, businesses and countries after March 2019. The timeframe set by Article 50 of the Treaty leaves us with no time to lose. I am fully committed to maintaining regular and close contact at our level to facilitate the work of our negotiators. I also look forward to welcoming you to the European Council later this month where we will discuss counter-terrorism, security and defence, trade and the Paris Agreement amongst other issues."
Bernie Sanders, the left-wing US politician who unsuccessfully ran against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, has this to say:
Meanwhile, commentators are unpicking the Evening Standard's election coverage since George Osborne became the paper's editor.
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