Key moments
Millions across the country have been voting in the general election.
Predictions of a Labour landslide did not appear to have affected turnout, election officials said.
Polling stations close at 10pm and the exit poll is expected almost immediately afterwards. The first results should come in at around 11.30pm and proceedings will steadily speed up from there.
UK general election results – follow live
... but Stones sticks to football
Ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final with Switzerland, the England football team are living in a “politics-free zone” according to John Stones.
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The defender says he and his team-mates have steered clear of discussions about political parties or policies throughout Euro 2024.
Labour’s a lock for Itoje ...
Maro Itoje’s proxy vote has been cast for Labour, while he and the rest of the England rugby team prepare for this weekend’s match in New Zealand (George Sandeman writes).
The lock forward and his team-mates take on the All Blacks in Dunedin on Saturday in the first of two matches. They last toured there a decade ago.
Itoje said he was “voting for change!!” and included a symbol of a rose, an emblem used both by Labour and the national rugby team.
Itoje, who attended Harrow School on a scholarship, has previously spoken of his interests outside of rugby and took a politics degree at SOAS while starting his professional career.
Corbyn’s youthquake, Tony’s tidal wave
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Every time we go to the polls, a narrative emerges of how the election was won. It will be snappy, comprehensible — and, very probably, a total myth.
From Neil Kinnock’s Sheffield Rally to Tony Blair’s tidal wave of enthusiasm, Jack Blackburn casts a critical eye over some of the more enduring election myths.
A reminder of what to expect for election night
Voting closes at 10pm and within seconds broadcasters will announce the results of the exit poll that will predict the number of seats each party will have in the next parliament (Seren Hughes writes).
The first results are expected around 11.30pm, with Blyth & Ashington likely to be fighting it out with Houghton & Sunderland South to declare a result first.
Things will steadily speed up from there, with the electoral landscape expected to be quite clear by around 4am. All results should be declared by around 7am, although recounts could delay the result.
You can see the full hour-by-hour timings here.
In it for the long haul?
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If election-themed drinking games are not your thing, and you prefer to dive into those all-important numbers, The Times’s health editor is here to help.
Eleanor Hayward has three of the best strategies to stay focused and energised until the bitter end.
And if that lot makes you thirsty ...
This evening’s proceedings may call for a stiff drink, but there are rules, says Matt Chorley.
Here is what to do when you spot Ed Davey on a tandem or Nigel Farage pulling a pint. Just remember to pace yourself — it could be a long night.
Crunch time for candidates
Nigella Lawson is ready for election night … with a cauldron of crisps.
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The chef and daughter of the late Nigel Lawson, the former chancellor, shared a photo of a large pot filled with bags of crisps captioned: “The crisp cauldron has been restocked. More supplies hidden if it needs to be replenished throughout the night, of course #generalelection.”
What happens when an MP is not re-elected?
Elections are as much about those who lose their jobs as those who get new ones (Seren Hughes writes).
Candidates who have lost their seat get support from the taxpayer-funded Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which governs MPs’ expenses. Winding-down payments help departing MPs close their office and manage the departure of staff. They have up to four months to carry out the necessary tasks.
A candidate who loses their seat or stands unsuccessfully in a different seat could also be eligible to receive a loss-of-office payment, which is similar to a redundancy payment and is equal to double the statutory redundancy entitlement.
Outgoing ministers are also entitled to receive severance pay, regardless of whether or not they remain an MP, amounting to 25 per cent of the annual ministerial salary they were being paid.
Reprimand for Miliband over ballot pic
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David Miliband has been called out for posting a photo of his ballot paper on social media (Seren Hughes writes).
The former foreign secretary shared a photo of his vote for Sir Keir Starmer captioned: “Proud to have been able to vote for the next PM. Well past time for change.”
After social media users drew the Electoral Commission’s attention to the post, a spokesman for the commission said: “Taking photos inside the polling station isn’t allowed as it might risk the secrecy of the ballot. To maintain the secrecy of the ballot, we’d discourage anyone from taking and sharing photos of a ballot paper.”
Voters are welcome to take photos outside the polling station and share them on social media. The rules also differ for postal voters, who are permitted to take a photo of their ballot paper and publicise it if they want to.
Turnout ‘not affected’ by expected landslide
Turnout appears in line with the previous general election, according to returning officers (Chris Smyth writes).
The Conservatives claimed turnout had been “higher than expected” despite suggestions that predictions of a comfortable Labour victory would mean many voters stayed at home.
However, Peter Stanyon, chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, said: “We’re expecting turnout to be comparable to what it was in the last general election.”
With returning officers reporting “busy” polling stations, Stanyon said: “There’s certainly not been a massive drop-off or far more people voting. It’s hard to know for sure but we seem to be in about the same sort of region we were last time.”
The 67 per cent turnout in 2019 was lower than 2017 but higher than any other election since 1997.
Snaps election
Election candidates have shared photos with their families and out and about as the final push is underway.
Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, picked up an ice cream and Reform’s Richard Tice posed with a trike in Boston for what he called the “fastest last-minute canvassing”.
Meanwhile, outside polling stations Penny Mordaunt shared a photo alongside her father and Grant Shapps, another potential Tory leader, stopped for a snap with family members.
Friday morning at the Palace
Courtiers will have cleared two slots in the King’s diary tomorrow morning, 11am and midday, with how events unfold depending on the outcome of today’s vote.
All the polls suggest it will be Sir Keir Starmer he invites to form a new government.
Kate Mansey explains Charles’s role in appointing the next prime minister and how protocol governs the so-called kissing of hands.
A campaign like no other
How was it for you?
From Rishi Sunak tugging at the nation’s heartstrings with tales of his Sky TV-deprived youth to Keir Starmer telling us for the umpteenth time that his dad was a toolmaker, Constance Kampfner has been reliving the most memorable moments of the past six weeks.
Let us know your personal favourites.
Watson gets behind Corbyn challenger
Tom Watson, who was Labour’s deputy leader under Jeremy Corbyn, has been campaigning in Corbyn’s Islington North constituency (Ed Halford writes).
Watson was a vocal critic of Corbyn’s leadership and allies of Corbyn brought a motion attempting to abolish the deputy leader position then held by Watson.
A picture has shown Watson campaigning for the Labour candidate, Praful Nargund. Corbyn is standing as an independent candidate this time, having represented Islington North since 1983.
Shapps shares survival hopes
The defence secretary, Grant Shapps, is facing a tight contest in Welwyn Hatfield, with polls predicting the Conservative leadership hopeful could lose the seat.
Shapps was seen at the polling station with his family and dog. “They’ve cast their votes for me. Now it’s your turn,” he wrote on Twitter/X.
Glasgow polling gaffe
Some voters arriving at a polling station in Glasgow were given the wrong instructions (Seren Hughes writes).
Posters at Notre Dame primary school told voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than to put a single “X” next to their chosen candidate. This is how ballots are cast in Holyrood elections, which use the single transferable vote system.
Glasgow city council said the error was spotted “very soon” after the polling station opened and replaced with the correct information “after the first few voters”. A council spokeswoman said: “No one has been disenfranchised, as the first preference will be taken from the ballot paper.”
While a ranking system is used in local elections in Scotland, the general election is first past the post.
Stella’s starry ID
Stella Creasy showed off a Star Wars passport cover as she encouraged people to remember to bring their ID to vote (Seren Hughes writes).
The Labour candidate for Walthamstow shared a photo of her brandishing a passport cover reading “Death Star Space Battle Station” and said: “I’ve voted — have you, as you only have until 10pm tonight to do so?! Death Star passport cover optional … You don’t need your polling card but you do need voter ID.”
Party leaders stay on message as clock counts down
With polling stations open for another five and a half hours, the main party leaders have continued to push their message on social media (Seren Hughes writes).
The prime minister kept his focus on the threat of a Labour “supermajority” and higher taxes, while the Labour leader vowed to “change the country”.
Rishi Sunak said: “If Labour are handed a blank cheque, they will use their supermajority to tax you more for the rest of your life.”
Starmer said on Twitter/X: “I’ve changed the Labour Party. If you put your trust in me by voting Labour, I will change the country.”
At-risk Hunt casts his vote
The chancellor, who is at risk of losing his seat, has cast his vote in the election (Seren Hughes writes).
Jermey Hunt faces a considerable challenge from the Liberal Democrats in the new Godalming & Ash constituency.
If Hunt loses he would become the first serving chancellor to be usurped on election night. He has admitted spending six hours a day knocking on doors in the hope of retaining his seat.
What is the exit poll?
The exit poll is the first indication of how the parties have fared (Ed Halford writes).
The poll is commissioned by Sky News, the BBC and ITV News and the fieldwork carried out by Ipsos UK, which has interviewers at 133 polling stations around the country.
The locations of the polling stations are chosen to best reflect the demographics of the country, combining both urban and rural areas. The data is sent to the broadcasters’ statisticians and political scientists, locked down in a secret location in the capital.
The exit poll is released when voting finishes at 10pm.
Kate Garraway reveals polling card snub
The only polling card posted through Kate Garraway’s door was for her late husband Derek Draper (Seren Hughes writes).
Speaking about polling day on Good Morning Britain, the presenter said: “I haven’t had one for myself. The only polling card that’s come through the door is for Derek, sadly, who’s passed away.”
Draper, a former New Labour strategist, died earlier this year aged 56 after suffering long-lasting Covid symptoms.
Election official wants postal vote revamp
The postal vote system needs to be overhauled, the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) has warned (Ed Halford writes).
Laura Lock, the AEA’s deputy chief executive, said the deadline for postal votes should be moved five days earlier. Currently the deadline is 11 working days before polling day.
Lock also said that voters who did not receive their postal ballots should be allowed emergency proxy votes on polling day.
“Election teams are doing their very best to run this snap election, but with a short timetable and an election held when many are on holiday — plus print and delivery suppliers working at capacity — demand has severely tested the system,” she said.
Michael Gove makes a move
A removal van has appeared outside Michael Gove’s government-owned residence in One Carlton Gardens, near Buckingham Palace.
It has been previously reported that he would vacate the property on July 5 after he announced he was stepping down at the election.
The £25 million mansion is usually reserved for the foreign secretary.
‘Corbyn is a star — like Elvis Presley’
Comparisons between candidates and rock stars are few and far between in British politics. So for voters visiting Gadz Cafe in Finsbury Park, where the owner’s loyalty to Jeremy Corbyn runs deep, you’d be forgiven for doing a double take.
Pictures of Corbyn, an independent candidate standing in Islington North against Labour’s Praful Nargund, sit side by side with pictures of Elvis Presley.
“First Jeremy is my best friend, and second Jeremy is a star — just like Elvis,” said Hussein Jabar, the cafe’s owner, beaming across a counter littered with pro-Corbyn pamphlets.
Jabar’s loyalty also extends to naming a middle eastern staple after the former Labour leader. For voters stopping for lunch after casting their ballots in Islington North, Gadz Cafe offers a dish called the “Jeremy Corbyn falafel”.
Media analysis: who’s in the Labour limelight?
Labour’s Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting have been very prominent in election coverage while other major party figures including David Lammy and Ed Miliband have been almost absent, research shows.
A Loughborough University study has monitored television election coverage on several channels, as well as the most prominent articles in ten newspapers throughout the campaign, counting instances that a politician “is reported as doing something or saying something in an active way”.
Read in full: Media analysis reveals who’s in Labour limelight — and who’s out
Michelle O’Neill: Will a smile do?
Michelle O’Neill, the Northern Ireland first minister, has voted at a polling station at St Patrick’s Primary School in Clonoe, Co Tyrone.
She briefly spoke with a Sinn Fein member in a makeshift mobile outside the polling station. O’Neill spent several minutes inside to cast her vote.
Asked by photographers for a thumbs-up, she laughed and joked: “Will a smile do?” As she left the polling station, she shouted goodbye to local children and waved to voters.
Badenoch blames council for unsent ballots
Kemi Badenoch has blamed the local council in her North West Essex constituency for failing to carry out “basic functions” after thousands of postal votes were not sent.
The minister may be unable to stand in a possible Tory leadership election as there may have to be a by-election in the seat after a “human error” led to 2,600 ballots not being delivered.
The minister said the council has “potentially disenfranchised” thousands of voters due to the error.
The head of the local council said he is “mortified” by the mistake and will consider his position.
‘Vote Penny to save your pennies’
The leader of the House of Commons and future Tory leadership hopeful Penny Mordaunt has posed for a photo next to a white electric Honda which has been emblazoned with the slogan: “Vote Penny to save your pennies.”
She is standing in her Portsmouth North constituency and the final YouGov MRP poll predicted the Labour Party could gain this seat, while other polls have said it is too close to call.
Which Tory MPs could lose their seats?
Even using the most optimistic poll, Rishi Sunak’s party may end up at least 200 seats down on the 365 they won in 2019. This leaves lots of room for high-profile Conservative casualties.
Liz Truss, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps could find themselves without a seat, and Rishi Sunak could become the first incumbent prime minister in history to lose their seat at an election.
Read in full here: From Jeremy Hunt to Penny Mordaunt, which Tory MPs could lose seats
Silence surrounds Corbyn’s former seat
Raj Persaud, natty in suit and tie, jumped out of the 1969 Jaguar 420G saloon. With a picture of Corbyn emblazoned on the vehicle’s front passenger door, Persaud’s car is anything but inconspicuous.
In Islington North on election day, however, eye-catching displays of political allegiance could be the difference between Corbyn, an independent candidate, and Praful Nargund, Labour’s candidate, from clinching victory in the marginal seat.
Flyers for both candidates are dotted across businesses in Islington North but few are as open in their allegiance to Corbyn as that of Gadz Cafe in Finsbury Park.
Pictures of the former Labour leader’s face — some encircled by hearts — adorn both the interior and exterior of the cafe.
Yet despite the intense focus on the north London seat, Islington Town Hall was decidedly quiet on Thursday morning.
Dogs (and horses) at polling stations
As voters head to ballot for the general election — some in more unusual locations than others — animals and celebrities also join the queues.
Full gallery here: Dogs (and horses) at polling stations as the nation votes
Go Green, says celebrity chef behind giant cabbage
Hidden behind a gargantuan cabbage and then gesturing a peace sign in a Churchillian fashion, a celebrity chef better known for his recipes than political endorsements has rallied Green Party support.
In a video posted on Twitter/X, Hugh Fearnley-Whttingstall said he was voting for a “brighter, greener future”.
He said the Green Party would press the new government for “better food and farming, adjust transition to a greener economy and faster bolder reforms to our frontline services”.
Unlike the lettuce which became a satirical symbol for Liz Truss’s rapid fall from grace, the cabbage has been used to flout his green credentials.
Reeves votes in Leeds seat
Labour’s Rachel Reeves will make history tomorrow as the first female chancellor if she is elected in Leeds West.
She was photographed casting her ballot in Pudsey moments ago.
Farage enjoys an election day whippy
Nigel Farage starts off the day with a seaside treat in Clacton-on-Sea, the constituency in which he hopes to finally win a seat.
If successful tomorrow, the Reform UK leader would enter the House of Commons on his eighth attempt.
Farage also appealed to his followers on Instagram with a picture of a dog at a polling station.
Election night coverage: who’s who on TV and radio?
Times Radio
From 9.55pm Andrew Neil, William Hague, Peter Mandelson and Ayesha Hazarika team up with Matt Chorley and Kate McCann on election night — kicking off 100 hours of live coverage. Join John Pienaar, Jane Garvey, Fi Glover and Patrick Maguire as they present from around the country and hear exclusive updates and analysis from The Times and Sunday Times political reporters live from our newsroom.
BBC TV and Radio
Laura Kuenssberg and Clive Myrie anchor the coverage on BBC1 alongside the political editor Chris Mason and Professor Sir John Curtice.
ITV
Tom Bradby helms election night, joined by Robert Peston, Anushka Asthana and Paul Brand, with analysis from the professors Jane Green and Colin Rallings.
Read in full here: Election night TV coverage: how and where to watch live results
Lib Dem leader upbeat and lively in Surbiton
Sir Ed Davey and his wife, Emily, have visited a polling station in Surbiton, southwest London, to vote.
Davey said “good morning everybody” to the assembled media and waved to the cameras.
As the pair prepared to enter Surbiton Hill Methodist Church, a voter left the polling station and wished the Lib Dem leader “good luck”.
Unlucky timing
Will Sunak be sent packing?
With the final MRP YouGov poll predicting a Labour majority of 212 seats, the former chancellor George Osborne spoke about one dilemma every Downing Street occupant has faced at the election approaches — “do you pack up the flat or not?”
Writing in The Spectator, Osborne recalled his job of briefing John Major, former prime minister, about the newspaper coverage each morning and the awkward moment when he told Major in 1997, The Sun believes “you can’t win”.
He wrote: “The day before polling, I crept into the flat and I was confronted by stacks of boxes. The Majors had packed up. The Blairs didn’t with their elections; nor did the Camerons. I wonder what the Sunaks will do?”
Keir Starmer’s unexpected visitor
Dozens of photographers and camera crews from around the world were waiting for Sir Keir Starmer, reflecting global expectation that he will become the next prime minister.
About 50 media representatives from as far away as Japan were waiting for the Labour leader for an hour before he arrived at his local polling station in Kentish Town, reporting live from around the world as what the German TV station n-tv predicted would be a “triumphal” election win.
As well as peaceful pro-Gaza protestors supporting a local independent candidate, Starmer was greeted by a woman in a bear suit urging him to support fur-free caps for the King’s Guard uniform— a topic he is unlikely to bring up if summoned to Buckingham Palace tomorrow.
More than a dozen police officers were also at the polling station, with Starmer slipping out the back entrance to avoid the crowd.
Voter fatigue is catching on, poll shows
A YouGov poll has found that 28 per cent of Britons believe the outcomes of general elections have little to no impact on their own lives personally.
Older people are generally more likely to say that general elections don’t have much of an impact on the individual level, with one in five of those aged 18 to 24 (21 per cent) feeling this way compared with 36 per cent of those aged 65 and over.
Labour voters were most inclined to think that the outcomes of general elections mattered a “great deal” at 65 per cent and Reform voters were most likely to believe they did not matter very much (18 per cent).
Starmer arrives to vote
Sir Keir Starmer has voted at his local polling station in Kentish Town, north London.
Accompanied by his wife, Victoria, Starmer arrived to vote at 9.40 and was greeted by cheers and shouts of “good luck” from the crowd.
However, there were also several supporters of the pro-Gaza independent candidate Andrew Feinstein, who has run a very prominent local campaign in protest at Labour’s stance on the Middle East.
Truss puts trust in Tories
Liz Truss, who has been kept well away from the national campaign by party organisers, has cast her vote in South West Norfolk, her former constituency.
She is facing a challenge from the independent candidate James Bagge, the Labour party’s nominee Terry Jermy and the Liberal Democrats’ Josie Ratcliffe.
Jeremy Corbyn votes for ‘alright’ independent
Jeremy Corbyn posted a photo of himself outside a polling station in his north London constituency.
The former Labour leader is running as an independent in Islington North.
Corbyn has won the seat for Labour at every general election since 1983, but is no longer a member of the party after he was banned by Sir Keir Starmer.
‘Labour to win biggest majority since 1832’
Labour is on track to win the largest majority of any party in modern history, a major poll has suggested, as Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer made their final appeals for support.
As voters go to the polls on Thursday, the last YouGov survey of the campaign found that Labour was on track for a 212-seat majority, with the Conservatives reduced to just 102 MPs.
However, Sunak urged voters who had abandoned his party to return, saying that they had the “power to prevent an unchecked Labour government”.
Read in full here: Labour will win biggest majority since 1832, final MRP poll predicts
Johnson: don’t vote for nightmare wokery
Boris Johnson has encouraged his followers to vote against the “nightmare” wokery and the tax rises of a future Labour government.
In a last ditch appeal to voters, the former prime minister appeared at the eleventh hour at a rally in London with Rishi Sunak on Tuesday. However, Sunak and Johnson did not share the stage.
In a video on Twitter/X, Johnson said: “So I’m on my way to the polling station where I’m going to cast my vote against the nightmare prospect of a left-wing government.
“More left-wing than any since the war, with more wokery, more illegal immigration, more pointless, powerless kowtowing to Brussels, and of course ever-higher taxation for you and your family under Keir Starmer and the Labour Party. Don’t let it happen, vote Conservative today, get out and vote today, it’s a beautiful day.”
Swinney brings ballot back up
John Swinney, the Scottish first minister, has taken his son Matthew, 14, along with him to vote in the general election this morning.
They arrived at Burrelton Village Hall in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, to cast a ballot.
When will the election results be announced?
After six weeks of claims, counterclaims, stunts and controversy the politicians have run out of time to make their case to the people. Now it is up to all the rest of us to decide who will run Britain for the next five years.
Here we guide you through the night after voting ends.
10pm Within seconds of the polls closing at 10pm, broadcasters will announce the results of the exit poll that will predict the number of seats each party will have in the next parliament.
11 – midnight The race will be on to become the first constituency in the country to declare a result.
Read our full guide here: When will the election results be announced? Hour-by-hour timings
Theresa May casts her vote
Theresa May has been spotted stroking a dog as she votes at a polling station in Maidenhead, Berkshire.
The former prime minister, who stood down as an MP after 27 years in March, was joined by her husband Philip.
Eccentric — election day so far
Britain’s churches, community halls, schools and cafes around the country will play host to the public exercising its democratic right today. Here is a selection of the quirkier locations where people will be voting.
Remember ID
Today’s general election will be the first in which people casting ballots will need to bring voter ID with them.
Those visiting polling stations must show a driving licence, a passport, or an older or disabled person’s bus pass when they arrive.
Data collected in polling stations at the local elections showed that at least 0.25 per cent of people who tried to vote at a polling station were not issued with a ballot paper because of the ID requirement.
The political map of Britain has been adjusted this year after the Boundary Commission expanded 76 seats and reduced 73.
PM heads to polling station
Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty have arrived at their local polling station in Kirby Sigston, North Yorkshire, to cast their vote in the general election.
Sunak currently enjoys a majority of over 25,000, but at least one MRP poll has predicted he will lose the seat to Labour, which would make him the first sitting PM to do so.
The betting markets give him a 2/5 chance of keeping the seat.
Dog decisions in Devon
Raphael the Golden Retriever poses for a picture in Dunsford, Devon, as he becomes one of the thousands of dogs joining their humans at polling stations today.
Leaders’ last words
While broadcasters have to obey strict election-day rules, parties can still promote their messages on social media as voters head to the polls.
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, writing on Twitter/X as polls opened, said: “Change. Today, you can vote for it.”
Before 7am, Rishi Sunak posted a series of messages urging voters to “stop the Labour supermajority”.
