It’s been a testing and bumpy election ride for rival parties as Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party won a landslide majority this morning.
With Labour suffering serious and devastating losses across the country in a dramatic general election, Jeremy Corbyn has stated he won’t be fighting another election, and will be taking this time to ‘reflect’.
Labour was swept aside by the Conservatives in its traditional heartlands in the Midlands and north-eastern England, and lost six seats in Wales.
Conservatives have 364 MPs, Labour 203, the SNP 48, Liberal Democrats 11 and the DUP eight. The Brexit Party, which thrived in the summer’s European Parliament elections, failed to win any Westminster seats.
At just after 5am this morning the Conservatives were officially declared winners of the General Election after crossing the 326-seat threshold.
Boris Johnson hailed his ‘powerful new mandate to get Brexit done’ as his party romped to victory, stealing seats from Labour and the Lib Dems in the north of England.
This stands as the largest Conservative Party’s Commons majority since Margaret Thatcher won a third term in 1987.
Mr Johnson has returned to Downing Street, having visited Buckingham Palace, and is expected to make a statement outside Number 10 this afternoon.
In his victory speech earlier, he told activists the election result represented a “new dawn” for the country.
He thanked Labour voters, many of whom, he said, had backed the Conservatives for the first time, vowing to fulfil the “sacred trust” placed in him.
“You may intend to return to Labour next time round, and if that is the case, I am humbled that you have put your trust in me, and I will never take your support for granted,” he said.
