Jeremy Corbyn: We have changed the face of British politics
2 min read
Labour has "changed the face of British politics", Jeremy Corbyn has said as the party made sweeping gains across the UK.
In a night of incredible political shocks, the Conservatives were on course to lose their majority in the face of a Labour surge.
The exit poll published as voting closed at 10pm forecast the Conservatives will be on 314 seats - down from the 330 they had when the election was called in April and well short of a majority.
Labour would be on 266, up from the 229, with the SNP forecast to slump from 54 to 34 seats and the Liberal Democrats tipped to go from nine to 14.
However, a string of results suggested Labour could do even better than predicted.
The party gained Vale of Clwyd from the Tories, and was on course to seize a number of other seats from their rivals as well.
It also increased its majority in a number of seats which had been Tory targets, including Darlington, Wrexham and Tooting.
In Scotland, Labour was also on course for a much better night than expected, and by 1.30am had gained Rutherglen, while Ian Murray more than doubled his majority in Edinburgh South.
Mr Corbyn said: "I’d like to thank all our members and supporters who have worked so hard on this campaign, from door knocking to social media, and to everyone who voted for a manifesto which offers real change for our country.
"Whatever the final result, we have already changed the face of British politics."
Meanwhile, serious questions were being asked about Theresa May's future, with former Chancellor George Osborne leading the criticism.
He told ITV: "There is a very large question mark over whether the Tories will want Theresa May fighting the next election if the exit poll proves to be correct.
"The manifesto, which was drafted by her and about two other people, was a total disaster. It must go down now as one of the worst manifestos in history by a governing party. I say one of the worst, I can't think of a worse one."
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