How election night unfolded – a timeline of key events

As declarations of General Election results began to pick up speed following an exit poll which predicted Labour winning a landslide, here is a timeline of how election night unfolded:

– 10pm

Polling stations across the UK closed.

An exit poll is published predicting a Labour landslide with the party on course for 410 seats and the number of Conservative MPs reduced to a record low of 131.

It also forecast the Liberal Democrats on 61 seats, Reform UK on 13 and The Green Party on two.

In Scotland, the SNP was expected to secure 10 seats with Plaid Cymru in Wales on four.

– 11.14pm

The first constituency result is announced, with Labour’s shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson holding Houghton and Sunderland South in Tyne and Wear.

Ms Phillipson wins 18,837 votes, ahead of Reform UK on 11,668, with the Conservatives in third on 5,514.

She said in her victory speech: “Tonight the British people have spoken, and if the exit poll this evening is again a guide to results across our country as it so often is, then after 14 years the British people have chosen change.”

– 12.15am

Former Conservative justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland loses his seat in Swindon South to Labour candidate Heidi Alexander.

Sir Robert takes 12,070 votes while Ms Alexander wins 21,676 in the Wiltshire constituency.

– 1.35am

Liberal Democrat candidate Tom Gordon wins the party’s first victory of the night in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

– 1.42am

The first Conservative win to be announced is a hold by Mark Francois in Rayleigh and Wickford in Essex.

– 2.11am

Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves holds the seat in Leeds West and Pudsey.

In a post on X, she says it was an “honour” to return as the area’s MP, adding “You have put your trust in me. And I will not let you down.”

– 2.18am

Lee Anderson becomes Reform UK’s first elected MP after winning the seat in Ashfield in Nottinghamshire.

Reform wins 17,062 votes ahead of Labour with 11,553.

– 2.40am

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey holds the seat of Kingston and Surbiton in London after securing 25,870 votes, following a stunt-packed campaign.

In his acceptance speech, Sir Ed says: “It has been a great privilege to serve Kingston and Surbiton and this great community over many years and I’m humbled that you’ve given me the chance to serve you again, so let me start by saying a big thank you.”

– 2.58am

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer holds the London seat of Holborn and St Pancras.

He said in his counting hall speech: “Tonight people here and around the country have spoken and they’re ready for change – to end the politics of performance and return to politics as public service.

“The change begins right here because this is your democracy, your community and your future. You have voted. It is now time for us to deliver.”

– 3.09am

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps loses to Labour in Welwyn Hatfield.

– 3.09am

Conservative Justice Secretary Alex Chalk loses in Cheltenham to Liberal Democrat candidate Max Wilkinson.

– 3.26am

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn beats his old party to hold his seat in Islington North and become an independent MP.

Mr Corbyn has been the MP for the London constituency since 1983.

– 3.28am
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is elected in Clacton, winning a UK parliamentary seat at his eighth attempt.

Speaking in Clacton after his win, Mr Farage said his party’s performance in the General Election was “truly extraordinary”.

He added: “There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it.”

– 3.48am

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan is beaten by the Liberal Democrat candidate Jess Brown-Fuller in Chichester.

– 3.57am
Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer beats Labour’s Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central in the party’s first victory in the election.

– 3.58am

Reform UK chairman Richard Tice wins in Boston and Skegness to become the party’s fourth MP.

– 4.08am

Penny Mordaunt, leader of the House of Commons, is beaten by Labour in Portsmouth North.

– 4.10am

Conservative chairman Richard Holden wins in Basildon and Billericay in Essex, beating the Labour candidate by 20 votes following a recount.

– 4.11am

Veterans minister Jonny Mercer is defeated by Labour in Plymouth Moor View.

– 4.21am

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer is beaten by the Liberal Democrats in Ely and East Cambridgeshire.

– 4.31am

Yvette Cooper, Labour’s shadow home secretary, holds the seat in Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley.

– 4.40am

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds his seat in Richmond and Northallerton.

Speaking after the result was announced, Mr Sunak says it has been a “difficult night” and that the Labour party have won the General Election.

The Prime Minister says he takes “responsibility” for his party’s loss, has called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory and will say more later in London.

– 4.58am

Senior Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg loses his seat in North East Somerset and Hanham to Labour.

– 5am

Labour wins the General Election after reaching the required 326 seats.

Sir Keir Starmer says “we did it” as he delivers a speech at a victory rally in central London to rapturous applause.

The Labour leader says: “We did it. You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it, and now it has arrived – change begins now.”

He adds that the UK will be waking up to “the sunlight of hope, pale at first but getting stronger through the day, shining once again”.

– 5.31am

The Tories lose all their MPs in Wales after Welsh Secretary David TC Davies loses his seat in Monmouthshire to Labour.

– 5.57am

A record number of female MPs will sit in the new House of Commons.

Some 242 women MPs have been elected so far, passing the previous record of 220 at the election in 2019.

The number of female MPs has risen at each of the past six elections.

– 6.04am

Green Party candidate and former co-leader Sian Berry wins Brighton Pavilion, in the party’s fourth victory of the night.

– 6.20am

Transport Secretary Mark Harper is defeated by Labour in the Forest of Dean.

– 6.22am

Home Secretary James Cleverly holds his seat in Braintree, Essex.

– 6.40am

Tory business and trade minister Greg Hands loses Chelsea and Fulham to Labour.

– 6.43am

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, having held off a Lib Dem challenge in Godalming and Ash, says the Conservatives’ “crushing” election night defeat is a “bitter pill to swallow” for the party.

– 6.50am

Former prime minister Liz Truss becomes the biggest scalp in the Tory bloodbath as she loses her Norfolk South West seat, where she had been defending a notional majority of more than 24,000, to Labour.

She declines to give a concession speech, but tells the BBC the Tories “haven’t delivered sufficiently on the policies people want” including curbing immigration.

– 6.57am

In Northern Ireland, Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister defeats the DUP’s Ian Paisley in North Antrim, a seat held by a member of the Paisley family for more than 50 years.

– 7.09am

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride clings on to his Devon Central seat by a narrow margin of 61 votes. The close ally of Mr Sunak later says “there will need to be a new leader of the Conservative Party”.

– 7.10am

Tory minister Steve Baker loses Wycombe to Labour. He later says “thank God I’m a free man”.

– 8.50am

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey thanks supporters for helping the party get its “best result in over 100 years” at a celebratory event in London.

– 9.44am

Mr Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street for the final time as chancellor.

He poses for photos with his wife, three children and dog Poppy before they get into a van and drive off.