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 ThomasEditorNigel Farage’s Reform UK is set to win more than a dozen Westminster seats in what would be a shock overperformance for the party, according to the exit poll.After the party’s only current MP Lee Anderson held his Ashfield seat, becoming the first Reform win of the night, arch-Brexiteer Mr Farage remains on course to become the MP for Clacton in Essex.Click here for our live coverage of the general election campaign.A series of polls in the run-up to the general election suggested Reform could win between two and seven seats, with disgruntled former Tory and Labour voters turning toward the party.Lee Anderson comfortably won his seat with more than 17,000 votes 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 ThomasEditorSir Keir Starmer is poised to complete one of the most remarkable turnarounds in British political history as the exit poll indicates a huge Labour victory that will sweep him into Downing Street with a majority of 170.As polling stations closed at 10pm, the exit poll predicted that Labour will win 410 seats, the Tories 131, the Lib Dems 61, Reform 13 and the SNP 10.Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, and Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, have become 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. It is a stunning reversal in fortunes since the Tories won an 80-seat majority under Boris Johnson just under five years ago, in what was also Labour’s worst election result since 1935.Follow our liveblog here for seat-by-seat updates as they come inThe 131 seats projected for the Tories is a record low in their 346-year history, beating the previous 156 in 1906.If the exit poll is correct, several senior Tories are in serious danger of losing their seats.According to the BBC, chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, defence secretary Grant Shapps, ex-business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and ex-Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith are among those at most risk.Sir Jacob said: “The Conservative Party took its core voters for granted and that is why people have gone over to Reform.”Former cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom argued that the loss of votes to Reform showed “the Conservative Party hasn’t been conservative enough.”Minister Steve Baker, who is also expected to lose his seat, told the BBC: “I think this is an extremely difficult time for the Conservative Party.”He said that Mr Sunak would do “what is right for the country”.If the exit poll is proven right, Nigel Farage is set to be a big winner, taking his Reform UK party to 13 seats at its first attempt. His last-minute decision to stand in Clacton appears to be fully vindicated and has propelled his party into parliament, ending his own run of seven defeats in attempts to get elected.After the first two declarations Farage put out a video saying: “What does it mean. We are going to win many, ny seats across the country.”Meanwhile, the SNP’s support appears to have collapsed in Scotland, with the projected 10 seats representing a loss of 35 seats.The SNP will have lost out to the Labour Party surge which Lord Mandelson told the BBC was “much bigger” than Tony Blair’s victory in 1997.He pointed out that when the now Sir Tony won, the party had been slowly “on an upward trajectory” in 1987 and 1992, but this victory will have come after a near collapse under Jeremy Corbyn in 2019.Sir Keir’s final message to voters linked to his decision to throw out his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn.He said: “I’ve changed the Labour Party. If you put your trust in me by voting Labour, I will change the country.”Pat McFadden, Labour’s national campaign coordinator, commenting as the polls closed, said: “Keir Starmer’s transformation of the Labour Party has been remarkable. He has put country before party and has transformed Labour from a party focused on itself to one back in the service of the British public. We have campaigned as a changed Labour Party, ready to change Britain.The Independent’s front page on Friday splashes on Labour’s forecast landslide 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 ThomasEditorSir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is set to win 410 seats in parliament, just shy of Tony Blair’s 418-seat landslide nearly 30 years ago, according to an exit poll.If the poll is accurate, Sir Keir will have led his party to victory with a 170-seat majority, pushing the Conservatives back to only 131 seats.The result will almost certainly lead to a series of high-profile Conservatives losing their seats as results come in in the early hours.Follow live updatesThe Liberal Democrats are forecast to win 61 seats, with Reform UK on 13, the Green Party on 2, the SNP on 10 and Plaid Cymru on 4.So how does Labour’s position on the exit poll compare with New Labour’s election victory in 1997? The Independent takes a look below.Former prime minister Tony Blair won a landslide election victory in 1997 with a huge 179-seat majority 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 ThomasEditorElection night is here, so get ready for a series of exciting twists, turns and upsets.Most of the results should be declared by about 6.30am on Friday — and as the seat declarations start to trickle in, I’ll be here to answer your burning questions on the biggest shocks and surprises; what the outcomes signify; and how the results will shape the future of British politics.Throughout the night, we may be treated to several “Portillo moments” – when big-beast cabinet members have their majorities overturned, as in 1997 when former Tory leadership contender Michael Portillo lost Enfield Southgate to Labour’s unknown candidate Stephen Twigg.We could see several high-profile ministers lose their seats in quick succession. Among those most at risk are the chancellor Jeremy Hunt, in Godalming and Ash, Penny Mordaunt in Portsmouth North, and possibly Gillian Keegan, who could lose her Chichester seat to the Lib Dems or even Labour.At around 4am we should hear from Clacton and Richmond and Northallerton, where Nigel Farage and Rishi Sunak are standing respectively. If Sunak loses, this would be the biggest Portillo moment of them all: the first time a sitting prime minister is deposed in their own seat. However, only one MRP poll, from Savanta, predicts that he will lose.Once the bigger picture is formed, it will be time for the comings and goings on Downing Street. If the result is as expected, Sunak will leave No 10, and Starmer will arrive by lunchtime. A new cabinet will be appointed within a few hours in the early afternoon.If you’re following along with election night and have a question on the results submit it below as I join you at midnight for this special “Ask Me Anything” event. I am hoping to keep answering your questions through the night and on Friday morning. Register to submit your question in the comments box under this article.Scroll down or click here to leave your comment.If you’re not already a member, click “sign up” in the comments section to leave your question. For a full guide on how to comment click here. 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 ThomasEditorViewers who tuned into Channel 4’s general election coverage have described Nadine Dorries’ interactions with panelists as the “moment of the night”. Ms Dorries branded former Tony Blair spin doctor 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. Mr Campbell told the former culture secretary, who is one of Mr Johnson’s most outspoken supporters, she needs “get over” the former prime minister. Follow our blog for live updatesMs 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.”In a separate interaction, Ms Dorries revealed she received a text from Mr Johnson but refused to divulge his thoughts. She then tried to shift the focus when asked if Mr Johnson was “watching you on Channel 4”, asking, “why don’t you talk to Alistair about Tony Blair?”Moments later Emily Maitlis, who is hosting the Channel 4 general election coverage alongside Krishnan Guru-Murthy, appeared to struggle not to roll her eyes at one of Ms Dorries’ answers. One viewer said on X: “I’ve got #channel4 and #BBC on at the same time and I’m sorry but our Nads getting ripped into by Alistair Campbell is brilliant.”Another said: “20 minutes into C4’s coverage and Alistair Campbell is telling Nadine Dorries to get over Boris Johnson & she’s accused him of making a sexist comment, long night ahead.”Other viewers were not as impressed by the clashes. One posted on X: “Get rid of her. Totally ruining your coverage. We’re not watching to watch her constantly argue with people”Another viewer added: “She’s constantly talking over others and not saying anything of substance. Cant stand her!”This comes as Labour is on course for one of the biggest Commons majorities in history with the official exit poll pointing to a crushing defeat for the Tories.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. 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 former prime minister Theresa May has been given a peerage while the former environment secretary Therese Coffey has been handed a damehood in the dissolution honours list.Ms May, the former MP for Maidenhead, was nominated for a peerage by Rishi Sunak as No 10 made the surprise decision to announce the list on Thursday evening, less than an hour before the election polls closed.The former PM stood down at the general election after a career spanning 27 years in parliament. Announcing her decision to step back from politics, Ms May told the Maidenhead Advertiser she had taken the decision to “focus on causes close to her heart”, including her work on the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.Meanwhile, Alister Jack, the Scottish secretary, who admitted to placing three bets on the date of the general election, was given a knighthood. You can follow our liveblog here where we will update you on the election results seat by seat as they come inMr Jack revealed that he had placed three bets on the date of the election – one of which was successful – as the row over election betting engulfed the Tory party campaign. He made it clear that he had not breached any rules and was not being investigated by the Gambling Commission.Scottish Secretary Alister Jack has been awarded a knighthood 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 ThomasEditorA bombshell exit poll has offered the first clue on how election night could unfold – and it looks like bad news for Rishi Sunak.A joint exit poll from the BBC, ITV and Sky News has predicted Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party will clinch a huge victory, predicting that Labour will win 410 seats, Tories 131, Lib Dems 61, Reform 13 and SNP 10.It is a stunning reversal in fortunes since the Tories won an 80-seat majority under Boris Johnson just under five years ago, in what was also Labour’s worst election result since 1935.At each of the past few elections, the exit poll has produced a very accurate projection of the actual result. At the last general election, in December 2019, the exit poll slightly overestimated the Conservatives’ win by three seats. It underestimated them by four seats in 2017, and by 15 seats in 2015. In 2005 and in 2010, the exit poll got the number of the leading party’s seats exactly right, first Labour and then the Conservatives.As counting begins at venues across the UK for all 650 seats, we want to know what you think. Do you agree with the exit polls? Or do you think there are still some shocks and surprises in store overnight? Share your election result predictions by adding them in the comments — we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.All you have to do is sign up and register your details — then you can take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here.Join the conversation with other Independent readers below. 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 ThomasEditorA woman said to be affiliated with George Galloway’s Workers Party was allegedly assaulted outside a polling station in Rochdale.Greater Manchester Police said officers were called to reports of an assault on Victoria Street, in the town of Littleborough, just before 11.30am on Thursday as voters headed to cast their ballots in the general election.The force said in a statement: “A woman was assaulted by a male. No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made.”The Littleborough United Reformed Church, situated on Victoria Street, is being used as a polling station.Mr Galloway, the seven-time MP who is standing to retain the Rochdale seat he won in a February by-election, alleged: “Our female polling station attendant in Littleborough has just been brutally assaulted outside the polling station where no officer was in attendance.”The assault took place on Victoria Street, Greater Manchester Police said More