UK Politics

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorFlamboyant hats worn by returning officers during the General Election count have stolen the show for many. The brave headwear been described by those on social media as “magnificent” and better than the candidates themselves.Annie Brewster, the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, took to the podium in the aptly named Welwyn Hatfield to declare Defence Secretary Grant Shapps had lost his seat to Labour while wearing a wide-brimmed hat topped with feathers.Late-night election count watchers on X, formerly Twitter, said her headwear was “magnificent”, with some feeling it was better than Mr Shapps himself.X user John wrote: “Grant Shapps loses to Labour – another MINISTER bites the dust – the SIXTH so far.“Actually he could have been beaten by that returning officers hat. That was magnificent.”Another user echoed the sentiment.Others suggested that Mr Shapps may have wished he could have been behind the large hat following the announcement of the loss of his seat which he has held since 2005.“I bet Shapps wishes he was the one directly behind that hat…,” one X user wrote.Mark Mitchener also joked on X about whether the hat would be “returned to nearby Whipsnade Zoo, or released back into the wild?”.Another returning officer, Lucia Bridgeman, the High Sheriff of Northumberland, who announced the results in the Blyth and Ashington constituency, also took social media by storm with her headwear.Ms Bridgeman wore a large brimmed hat adorned with feathers, complete with a matching ruffled white collar.X user Seamus Ryan dubbed the Northumberland constituency as one “where they appreciate that all governmental power emanates from having a funky hat”.Others suggested they were keen to know where the returning officer had purchased her garments, saying they were “brilliant”.Meanwhile, X user Kieren Rees suggested Ms Bridgeman’s headwear was the best he had seen all night.Away from the hats, Sir Keir Starmer will be the UK’s next prime minister after Rishi Sunak admitted defeat in the face of a Labour landslide.The Prime Minister said voters had delivered a “sobering verdict” on his party after 14 years in power.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said people around the country had declared they were “ready for change”. More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorGrant Shapps and Alex Chalk have become the first Tory big beasts to lose their seats in the general election. Defence Secretary Mr Shapps has lost to Labour in Welwyn Hatfield while Justice Secretary Mr Chalk was defeated in Cheltenham to Liberal Democrat candidate Max Wilkinson. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has also been beaten by the Liberal Democrats in Chichester.In his concession speech, Mr Shapps hit out at the Conservative “indulgence” that appears to have cost them the election, saying voters do not back divided parties. While a key figure in the Tory party for decades, having been appointed vice-chairman in 2005, it was after the 2019 election win that Mr Shapps became higher-profile in Government.He has held five Cabinet positions since then – from the roles of transport secretary and home secretary to energy security secretary as well as business secretary, and most recently defence secretary.After a short-lived Tory leadership bid in 2022, Mr Shapps became a major backer of Liz Truss’s rival Rishi Sunak in that contest.Alex Chalk has also lost his seat More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe 2024 general election results are coming in live throughout the night, after polls closed at 10pm on July 4.While exit polls have predicted 410 seats for Labour with a huge 279-seat majority over the Tories on 131, official results will emerge throughout the night.The bulk of results will start coming in after 3am tonight, but several constituencies have already begun reporting in with the first coming in just after 11pm. See here for more information on reporting times.Follow our election liveblog here With the fate of dozens of Conservative ministers on a knifes-edge, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and chancellor Jeremy Hunt, results in individual constituencies matter now more than ever.See which seats have been declared live as they come in:Early results include Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, and Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, being the first two senior Labour figures to be returned to parliament, winning in Leeds West and Pudsey and Sunderland South respectively.Lee Anderson, meanwhile, has become Reform UK’s first elected MP, retaining his Ashfield seat.Robert Buckland has become the first senior Tory to lose his seat in a major scalp for Labour. A series of high-profile Conservatives are expected to be ousted as results come in over the next few hours.Workers Party leader George Galloway has lost his seat in Rochdale to Labour.Defence secretary Grant Shapps and Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, are the first two cabinet ministers to lose their seats with several more expected to follow.Former Labour MP Jeremy Corby has won his constituency of Islington North as an Independent. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has won his seat in Clacton. More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorJeremy Corbyn has retained his Islington North seat as an independent with 24,120 votes despite being expelled from the Labour party. Mr Corbyn won the constituency with 7,247 more votes than the Labour candidate’s Praful Nargund, who secured 16,873 votes.The former Labour leader served the ward as a Labour member since 1983, winning the seat 10 times at elections. But at this contest, he stood as an independent candidate after the Labour party whip was suspended from him in 2020.Follow live updates hereHe faced a tight race, despite winning a majority of 26,000 – 1,180 more than this year – at the last general election in 2019 when Labour leader.The former Labour Party leader ran as an independent candidate More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorReform UK leader Nigel Farage has at last been elected as an MP, taking the seat of Clacton in Essex after seven unsuccessful attempts to get into the House of Commons.Mr Farage received 21,225 votes, comfortably beating the Conservatives Giles Watling with a majority of 8,405.In his victory speech Mr Farage declared Reform is “coming for Labour” and added It has been a “remarkably clean” battle for the seat and thanked his fellow candidates. “I promise that I will do my absolute best as a member of parliament. I have 20 years as an MEP but it’s not quite the same link or same responsibility with constituents,” he said.“It’s four weeks and three days since I decided to come out of retirement and throw my hat in the ring. I think what Reform UK has achieved in just those few short weeks is truly extraordinary.“Given we had no money, no branch structure, virtually nothing across the country, we’re going to come second in hundreds of constituencies, how many seats we’re going to win – I don’t know.“But to have done this in such a short space of time says something very fundamental is happening.”Mr Farage will finally enter the commons on his eighth attempt More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorThe Conservative Party has already descended into infighting before the general election results have even been fully counted.Figures on the Tory right and left publicly clashed about the future direction of the party, just hours after the official exit poll put it on course for its worst defeat in history.Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.In an excoriating op-ed less than an hour after the poll was released, former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost called for Rishi Sunak to “go and never be seen again”.Sir Robert Buckland has lost his Swindon South seat to Labour (PA) More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorResults are coming in from constituencies across the country as the general election exit poll shows the Labour Party is on course for one of the biggest Commons majorities in history. Sir Keir Starmer’s party is expected to win 410 seats while Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives are set to fall to 131 seats, down from 365 five years ago when Boris Johnson secured a 80-seat majority.As politicians and journalists react feverishly to the shock result, election fever has once again proven to be highly contagious and there have been a series of funny and awkward moments as MPs clash on TV and Tories face difficult questions. Follow our blog for live updatesHere, The Independent looks at the funniest moments from the election night coverage. Clive Myrie’s chicken chat’I’m not counting my chickens’ says Angela Rayner as exit poll releasedIn a bizarre exchange, BBC presenter Clive Myrie asked deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner “what kind of chickens” she is counting as she reacted to the exit poll.”I’m not counting my chickens until we’ve got those results coming in,” Ms Rayner said. Mr Myrie replied: “Angela Rayner, Clive Myrie here, you say you’re not counting your chickens, what kind of chickens might they be? What kind of chickens would you like to see in a future job description in a Kier Starmer government?”Nadine Dorries and Alastair Campbell clash over Boris Johnson’Tell the truth Alastair’: Nadine Dorries and Alastair Campbell clash following exit pollNadine Dorries, the former culture minister, branded Alastair Campbell “sexist” after he told her she needs to “get over” Boris Johnson.The fiery clash began when the panel were discussing who was responsible for the Conservative Party’s historic defeat.Ms Dorries responded: “Actually I find that to be quite a sexist comment!”Mr Campbell replied: “It really isn’t, you seem to think Boris Johnson is still an electoral asset. Rishi Sunak wheeling him out on the eve of the election was one of his many mistakes.”Steve Baker learns live on air that he has 1% chance of winning voteSteve Baker smiles while told he has 1% chance of winning voteSteve Baker was told live on air that he has only a 1 per cent chance of winning his seat.The Northern Ireland minister has been the MP for Wycombe since 2010, but the exit poll has predicted that he will lose his seat.Mr Baker was told by the BBC that his chances of holding on were near impossible, as he was sitting in the London studio live as the exit poll emerged.Exit poll met with questionable noises on Sky NewsExit poll met with questionable noises on Sky NewsAs the exit poll came in on Sky News, the opening scenes were met with some strange noises.Kay Burley along with the Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham made sounds of shock and awe as the poll indicated that Keir Starmer’s Labour Party was forecast a landslide.Wes Streeting’s extended nautical metaphor Was this Wes Streeting’s longest political metaphor yet?Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting fumbled his words as he made a point about how Keir Starmer has reformed the Labour Party, making it “ship-shape”.The blunder happened soon after the exit poll showed Labour was on course for one of the biggest Commons majorities in history. He told the BBC: “The only reason we have sails on the ship, and the ship is ship shape, is because Keir Starmer took the vessel from a shipwreck in 2019 and made it ship shape and seaworthy.” More

Support trulyindependent journalismFind out moreCloseOur mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.Louise ThomasEditorGeorge Galloway has lost the Rochdale constituency just months after he won it. The leader of the Workers Party of Britain received 11,508 votes, behind Labour’s Paul Waugh who won the seat with 13,047 votes. On the BBC election programme Neil Kinnock, the former Labour leader, could scarcely contain his glee. He described Mr Galloway as “repulsive” – but said when he was leading the party, he could not find a reason to throw him out.The Workers Party leader did not turn up to the count in Rochdale, a seat he has only held for four months. Follow our election liveblog hereThe Workers Party leader did not turn up to the count in Rochdale More