The Spectator

Catastrophe for the Conservatives as Theresa May blows her majority

  • Tories lose their majority, falling eight seats short.
  • Labour achieve 40 per cent of the vote, up 9.6pc. This is the biggest increase in vote share since Attlee in 1945.
  • Theresa May has been to Buckingham Palace and sought permission to form a new government, working with the DUP…
  • …in spite of personally engineering a cock-up of historic proportions.
  • The main five Cabinet ministers have all retained their positions; no further appointments will be announced until tomorrow.
  • Paul Nuttall has resigned as Ukip leader, stepping down with immediate effect.
  • SNP lose 21 seats, as Scottish Tories take 12 seats, Scottish Labour takes 7 and LibDems 4.
  • Ousted: Nick Clegg, Alex Salmond, Angus Robertson. Ben Gummer (who compiled the Tory manifesto). Amber Rudd clings on by 346 votes.
  • Zac Goldsmith won back his Richmond Park seat with a majority of just 45; Vince Cable similarly regained his Twickenham seat from Dr Tania Mathias.
  • Tory-DUP coalition now under discussion
  • Ukip wins less than 2pc of the vote.

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