UK ELECTION: Hung parliament as major parties fail to gain majority

Minute-by-minute updates as the results come in for the UK General Election.

DECLARED RESULTS

Conservatives 310
Labour 260
SNP 34
Liberal Democrats 12
DUP 10
Others 11
326 needed to form government

3.20pm With no chance of an outright winner, we're going to close things out here. There will be a hung parliament in the UK, with the Conservatives on 310 seats and Labour on 260, it means both major parties have fallen short of the 326 needed to form a majority government. There are 11 seats still to be declared, with several recounts going on.

3.11pm With 629 seats now declared, no party can achieve an overall majority and it is officially going to be a hung parliament.

2.57pm Former Conservative London mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith has retained his seat in Richmond.

2.49pm Press Association’s Ian Jones on a good turnout.

2.41pm BBC forecasts hung parliament.

2.35pm The BBC say they tried to contact Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Chancellor Philip Hammond and Brexit Secretary David Davis for interview following the election - but without success. "Senior figures in the Tory party - schtum," says BBC's David Dimbleby.

2.30pm Conservatives hit 300 seats. Labour back on 256.

2.25pm Another recount is underway in North East Fife. Close one there, apparently just ONE vote in it!

2.23pm This is the latest BBC projection. Chances of an outright Conservatives majority seemingly over.

2.19pm The Green Party keeping the mood light.

2.19pm This is a huge side story. The "hard Brexit" of leaving the EU's single market could be scrapped in favour of a "soft Brexit" where they remain in it. This is Brexit minister David Davis said...

2.15pm

2.13pm Conservatives now 30 seats short of forming government. They might need those 10 DUP seats as part of a coalition to make it.

2.10pm So with 609 of the 650 seats declared, this is where we are: Con 293, Lab 250, SNP 34, Lib Dems 11, DUP 10, Others 11.

2.07pm Labour's former director of communications has this to say on Twitter.

2.04pm We're still very much in hung parliament territory, but there's also still a chance the Conservatives can squeeze home. 326 the magic majority number.

2.02pm Labour has won back Enfield Southgate, with a a 9.7% swing from Conservative to Labour.

1.55pm Home Secretary Amber Rudd has retained her seat in Hastings by less than 300 votes for the Conservatives.

1.49pm Australia’s former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd has tweeted about the failure of the supposed mastermind behind Theresa May’s campaign, Sir Lynton Crosby.

1.42pm

1.36pm This really is something to behold - Jeremy Corbyn's very awkward high five:
1.33pm Labour gain Colne Valley from Conservatives. Labour up 29 seats now, Conservatives down 12.

1.32pm

1.31pm Shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer has just been re-elected in Holborn and St Pancras with an huge majority of 30,509.

1.28pm Conservative Ben Bradley has emerged victorious in Mansfield, a longtime Labour constituency.

1.26pm

1.20pm Huge upset in Scotland, former Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond has just lost his seat. Conservatives gain his seat of Gordon. SNP's poor night continues.

1.15pm During his victory speech John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said he expected Boris Johnson to launch a leadership challenge immediately.

1.10pm Conservative minister Gavin Barwell has lost his seat in Croydon Central to Labour's Sarah Jones.

1.09pm This is the Press Association’s latest forecast.

1.07pm More results in favour of the Labour Party being reported in Weaver Vale, Bassetlaw and Derby North.

1.06pm An update on losses and gain, Conservatives are down 11 seats, Labour up 27. Overall: Con 220, Lab 218.

1.04pm Another 3am edition, this time the Daily Mail.

1.02pm "Tonight is a disaster for Theresa May," says SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon.

1.00pm And we're neck-and-neck - 210 seats each for Conservatives and Labour.

12.58pm The Sun's 3am edition.

12.56pm Both major parties move past 200 seats - Con 205, Lab 207. We can expect the Conservatives to move into the lead soon as some of their safe seats are called.

12.55pm After holding her seat in Maidenhead, May is on her way to London now.

12.54pm Amber Rudd the Home Secretary's constituency in Hastings to close to call - so we have a recount.

12.50pm The result in Clacton gives you an insight into UKIP's night - down 36.5%...

12.46pm Former Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond has told BBC there will be a second independence referendum - it's a question of timing. The result in his Gordon constituency is still unannounced.

12.42pm Labour's Rosie Duffield has emerged victorious in Canterbury, a Conservative stronghold since 1918.

12.39pm It is 3.39am in the UK and these counters are feeling tired...

12.38pm Labour Party candidate Paul Farrelly is ahead by just 19 votes in Newcastle-under-Lyme. A recount is underway.

12.33pm So far, Labour has gained 21 seats, while the Conservatives are down eight seats.

12.29pm Here's a big tale from Canterbury, where it has always been a Conservative seat. Labour look like winning it after a boost of 20% in their vote.

12.25pm Mr. Fish Finger gets 309 votes! However, Tim Farron, the leader of the Lib Dems, holds the seat of Westmorland and Lonsdale. Sometimes there is no justice in politics.

12.23pm The Scottish National Party, the dominate party in Scotland, having a horror night. BBC projecting them to lose 24 seats, leaving them with just 32 seats. Conservatives and Labour picking up most of those lost seats.

12.21pm May on stage for the result in her seat in Maidenhead, where she holds easily.

12.17pm

12.13pm Corbyn also calling on May to resign.

12.12pm Jeremy Corbyn: "Politics has changed and politics isn’t going back into the box anymore."

12.07pm

12.03pm Never in doubt for Corbyn obviously, he holds with a large majority.

12.03pm Corbyn takes to the stage in Islington North for his seat.

12.01pm Interesting result in Ipswich. A 10% lift for Labour as they take that seat from the Conservatives.

11.59am Here's more on Labour's hopes of forming a minority government.

11.55am A side story here is within the Labour party. Split between the left of Corbyn and the right of former PM Tony Blair and previous leader Ed Miliband. After this improved result, the left are likely to maintain power within Labour.

11.53am Boris Johnson has just held his seat in Uxbridge and Ruislip South, and suggested Tories must do more to listen to people's concerns

11.48am A bad night for the Liberal Democrats has just got worse - Nick Clegg, the former deputy PM, has lost his Sheffield Hallam seat to Labour.

11.44am Angus Robertson, deputy leader of the Scottish National Party, has lost his seat to the Conservatives.

11.40am

The early UK papers have been released. Here's what they had to say to the election results so far.

11.36am

11.31am The Conservatives have taken more seats from the Scottish National Party in Moray and Ochil & Perthshire South. Very important wins for them.

11.15am Preet Gill, Labour candidate in Edgbaston, is predicted to become the first female Sikh MP.

11.07am Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage said he would "have no choice" but to return to active politics if a Corbyn coalition gains power and threatens Brexit.

11.01am Another Labour gain, this time in Battersea. Then another gain in Shipley.

10.57am

10.52am The Conservatives have a gain! Taking Angus from SNP in Scotland.

10.47am Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson has held on to West Bromwich East. That was one considered seriously under threat.

10.45am Several bookmakers are now giving Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn the most favourable odds to become the next Prime Minister.

10.38am

10.36am A flurry of Conservative holds brings them closer to Labour. Just 11 seats in it, Lab 28, Con 17.

10.34am Labour have gained a seat from the Scottish National Party in Rutherglen & Hamilton West.

10.29am As for the betting markets, sportsbet.com.au have 'No Overall Majority' at a very short 1.12. Conservatives majority 6.00, a Labour one 9.00.

10.27am Out of the Conservatives' target list of seats to gain, every single one has gone to Labour so far.

10.26am

10.23am Labour has held Darlington, with Jenny Chapman winning 50.5% of the vote, significantly up from the 42.9% she achieved in 2015. Good news very thin on the ground for the Conservatives at the minute, but a very long way to go.

10.20am 11 seats declared in the North East of England now. All 11 going to Labour. The Conservatives were hoping to make inroads in that Labour hot-bed, but it hasn't happened.

10.19am Labour will retain their seat in Wrexham - a Welsh area that PM May made several visits to during the campaign.

10.15am And then another Labour gain, taking Vale of Clwyd off the Conservatives.

10.14am First result in Scotland and it is a Labour gain in Rutherglen & Hamilton West. That is a big result.

10.07am This falls into the 'huge if true' category of results. It doesn't get much more Conservatives than Kensington & Chelsea.

9.57am The beauty of democracy - anyone can run. Including 'Mr Fish Finger' here.

9.57am A few other confirmed results.

9.49am In terms of a percentage swing in votes so far, Labour are up 9.2% and the Conservatives are up 7.5% - both mainly feasting on the implosion of UKIP who are down 13.6%.

9.41am Decent turnout for this election it seems.

9.33am British bookmakers William Hill tells ITV News: Boris Johnson now 10/1 to be next Prime Minister.

9.26am Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, has told the BBC that she thinks it is possible that Labour could form a government.

9.22am Former chancellor George Osborne, axed under Theresa May, said the exit poll indicated a "catastrophic" night for the Conservatives.

He told ITV: "It is early days, it's a poll, if the poll is anything like accurate this is completely catastrophic for the Conservatives and for Theresa May.

"It's difficult to see, if these numbers are right, how they would put together the coalition to remain in office."

9.19am One of the first MPs to be elected to the new Parliament said prime ministers who call snap elections can end up with egg on their face.

Bridget Phillipson, re-elected Labour MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, said it was still too early to be drawn on exit polls which suggested the Tories have fared much worse that expected.

But she said: "Theresa May must have fancied her chances and wouldn't have called a snap election if she didn't think she was in with a chance of increasing her majority.

"Maybe history tells us that prime ministers should be a bit more careful in taking those kinds of decisions because there is precedent where you can end up with egg on your face."

9.16am Shocking stuff as a fly dares to interrupt legendary British broadcaster David Dimbleby.

9.12am Some interesting seats include Gower and the Vale of Clwyd - two of the most marginal seats in this general election. Both are Tory held with tiny majority of 27 and 237 respectively. If the exit poll is right, the Conservatives should lose these.

9.05am Similar story in Houghton & Sunderland South - an easy Labour hold, but a huge swing to the Conservatives in second place. Can they repeat those swings in the close seats?

9.05am The Labour candidate for Tottenham in London, David Lammy, tweeted "if this exit poll is right this is one of the biggest turnarounds in our history and a historic mistake by the Tories." He described the election as a potential "catastrophe" for Theresa May in an interview with CNN.

8.58am This is genuine knife-edge stuff. A bad exit poll for Conservatives, but they are seeing swings to them in the early results. Those are safe Labour seats, so it doesn't impact the actually result there, but if the Conservatives match those swings in marginal seats they will be able to form government after all.

8.55am

8.49am And another expected hold for Labour in Sunderland Central. Another big gain for the Conservatives too though, they are doing a job of swallowing up the UKIP vote.

8.48am

8.44am

8.38am The Sun's front page.

8.36am If Corbyn's Labour do take power with the backing of the Scottish nationalists and the Liberal Democrats, both parties adamantly opposed to Brexit, Britain's future will be very different to the course the Conservatives were planning and could even raise the possibility of a second Brexit referendum.

8.35am When May called the snap election, she had a 20 point lead in some polls. That lead was slowly eroded with Britons unimpressed with her election policies, particularly one to force elderly people to pay more for their social care. Opponents dubbed it a "dementia tax".

8.31am With a long night ahead of them, Labour HQ has got the pizzas in!

8.27am Here are the numbers on that easy win for Labour in Sunderland South. Not a bad result for the Conservatives though.

8.23am The leader of UKIP, Paul Nuttall, who can probably expect a tough night, has taken aim at Theresa May on Twitter.

8.18am Here's some further early UK front pages from BBC's Neil Henderson:

8.14am So the clarify, the exit polls are suggesting that the Conservatives will fall 12 seats short of forming government again. We've had two results so far, both Labour holds as expected.

8.07am And here comes Sunderland. It's another easy Labour hold, with UKIP falling heavily again.

8.06am ITV's political correspondent Paul Brand tweeted a photo of a comparably small pile of votes for UKIP in Sunderland, saying the Eurosceptic right-wing party appeared "to have collapsed here." Brand also predicted a "Labour landslide" in Sunderland.

8.01am That Newcastle upon Tyne Central result saw the collapse of UKIP (with Brexit on the cards already), with votes moving to the two major parties - Conservatives and Labour.

8.00am We have our first result! Newcastle upon Tyne Central is a Labour hold. No surprise there, a safe Labour seat. They have beaten rivals Sunderland to be the first to announce their result in the annual race they have.

7.59am Early editions of the UK papers have reacted to that shock poll result...

7.54am One side story of this election day is the beefed up security in the wake of a series of terror attacks in the UK.

7.51am "That's unbelievable" is what Labour candidate Marie Rimmer had to say in response to the exit poll. She added that "a hung parliament would be better than Theresa May as prime minister... Let's get them out as soon as possible".

7.47am

7.43am: This Theresa May tweet from 20 May is now getting a new surge of retweets...

7.36am: Much of the talk has instantly shifted to the future of Conservatives leader Theresa May. She called the snap election to give her a larger majority ahead of Brexit negotiations. That looks unlikely now. However, this all hinges on that exit poll being right.

7.27am: Just a note on that shock exit poll. In both 1992 and 2015 the exit polls showed the Conservatives as the largest party but falling short of a majority to form government. On both occasions they managed to get a small majority.

7.18am: The Pound has seen a big drop after that exit poll:

7.18am: On the chances of a coalition government, the Liberal Democrats, who are third after the Conservatives and Labour, have said throughout the campaign that they would not go into a coalition government.

7.14am: This was the reaction to that shock exit poll in a London pub.

7.08am: So what does that mean? Well, it means a hung parliament at first (if the exit poll is right). After days of negotiation, there is the possibility of a coalition government. Failing that, there will be another election.

7.04am: That result would leave Theresa May with fewer seats than she currently has, bringing into question her decision to call the snap election.

7.00am: Here comes the exit poll and it's a fairly big shock: Conservatives 314, Labour 266, meaning that the government would fall short of a majority. The Liberal Democrats on 14, UKIP 0, SNP 34 and Others 22.

6.51am: YouGov has predicted a Conservative majority of 42 percent, holding a seven point gap against Labour’s 35 percent.

6.50am: So what have the final polls predicted? They are predicting that Conservative Theresa May will secure a parliamentary majority at the ballot box, but the scale of her victory against Labour's Jeremy Corbyn still in question. However, a last-minute poll by ComRes for The Independent predicts that May will secure the biggest victory since Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister.

6.47am: In the meantime, here is our explainer on the exit polls.

6.45am: Hello and welcome to 7 News Online’s live blog of the UK election results. Polls close across the country at 7am AEST, while the results will start coming in from around 9am AEST. However, the exit polls are just 15 minutes away.