UK

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

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