General Election LIVE: Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria settle into No10 after historic win

All the latest from a historic election night

• Keir Starmer has become Britain's next Prime Minister after Labour got 412 seats amid a brutal Tory wipeout.
• He promised to lead a Labour party grounded in “public service” in his first speech as PM in front of a jubilant crowd at No 10.
• Sir Keir will now appoint his cabinet as he cracks on with his plan for change.
• Rishi Sunak admitted defeat earlier on the steps of Downing Street and apologised to the nation for his party’s failures.
• Tory big beasts including former PM Liz Truss and ex-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps have lost seats after a nightmare night for Conservatives.
• He was followed by Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt, one of eight Cabinet ministers have lost their seats
• Nigel Farage’s Reform party claimed an unprecedented four seats as they grabbed votes from the Tories.
• Tory defector Lee Anderson claimed the first Reform seat, followed by Farage, Richard Tice, and Rupert Lowe.
• Sir Keir's predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, now standing as an independent, also held onto Islington North
• All eyes are now on our new PM with Piers Morgan telling our Never Mind The Ballots election show that Sir Keir MUST deliver real change after the Tory disaster

How did Keir and Victoria Starmer meet?

Keir and Victoria Starmer met during their work as solicitors.

In an interview with Piers Morgan he said:"I was doing a case in court and it all depended on whether the documents were accurate.

"I [asked my colleagues] who actually drew up these documents, they said a woman called Victoria, so I said let's get her on the line."

Victoria hung up on him during the call and was heard mumbling: "Who the f*** does he think he is?"

He then asked her out on a date to a pub in Camden.

And a few years later in 2007, the pair married.

Who is Keir Starmer's wife Victoria?

Victoria Starmer, also known as Lady Victoria Starmer, is a former solicitor turned NHS occupational health worker and the wife of British politician Keir Starmer.

Despite her husband's prominent political career, she plans to continue her work with the NHS, if he should become Prime Minister.

A commitment Keir Starmer has confirmed, stating, "She wants to and she loves it."

The pair both reportedly met in the early 2000s, before they later tied the knot in 2007.

She made her first appearance as the then-new Labour leader’s wife when the pair were filmed clapping for the NHS in 2020, outside their Camden home in North London.

Ed Davey says he is 'humbled'

Sir Ed Davey weighs in. His party are set to scoop 63 seats.

He said: “The Liberal Democrats are on course for our best results in a century, thanks to our positive campaign with health and care at its heart.

“I am humbled by the millions of people who backed the Liberal Democrats to both kick the Conservatives out of power and deliver the change our country needs.

“Every Liberal Democrat MP will be a strong local champion for their community standing up for the NHS and care. Whether you voted for us or not, we will work day in and day out and we will not let you down.”

Ed Davey says he is 'humbled'

Sir Ed Davey weighs in. His party are set to scoop 61 seats.

He said: “The Liberal Democrats are on course for our best results in a century, thanks to our positive campaign with health and care at its heart.

“I am humbled by the millions of people who backed the Liberal Democrats to both kick the Conservatives out of power and deliver the change our country needs.

“Every Liberal Democrat MP will be a strong local champion for their community standing up for the NHS and care. Whether you voted for us or not, we will work day in and day out and we will not let you down.”

Labour out the blocks...

Pat McFadden, Labour campaign chief, says tonight: “Keir Starmer’s transformation of the Labour Party has been remarkable.

"He has put country before party and has transformed Labour from a party focused on itself to one back in the service of the British public.

"We have campaigned as a changed Labour Party, ready to change Britain.

“It’s going to be a long night, and it will be several hours until we know the full picture of results.

"Labour will need a swing bigger than Tony Blair achieved in 1997 to achieve a majority of just one seat.

“It is remarkable that Labour was in a competitive position in this election given what happened in 2019.

"Whatever has been claimed throughout the campaign, the Labour Party has assumed nothing about the result and has worked tirelessly to bring our message of change to people across the country.

“Britain’s future was on the ballot at this election. And, if we are successful tonight, Labour will get to work immediately with our first steps for change.”

Piers: 'Social earthquake for Britain'

Piers Morgan is live with Harry Cole on Never Mind The Ballots, which you can watch live here.

He says the result is "a social earthquake for this country & a disaster for the Tories."

Our columnist continues:

He said: "I think first of all you have to say Congratulations to Keir Starmer, who has taken the party from being completely unelectable under Jeremy Corbyn to being a party with this gigantic majority.

"Of course there's now huge pressure on him to deliver on the faith that the elctorate has shown him.

"A disaster for the Conservative Party which cannot be understated. Whichever way you look at this, it's a seismic night."

EXIT POLL: LABOUR MAJORITY 170

The exit poll predicts a Labour majority of 170

Sir Keir Starmer is to be the next Prime Minister.

Tune in to our live Never Mind The Ballots special in 15 minutes’ time for all the live reaction with Political Editor Harry Cole and The Sun on Sunday’s Kate Ferguson.

Click here to watch.

Here we go

Eyes down - we are about to get the all-important exit poll result.

Follow this page to get the result as soon as it drops.

How the exit poll works...

We're within 10 minutes of getting a starting indication of how this election has gone.

But how does the exit poll get it so right?

Exit poll surveys take place at around 133 polling stations across the country and those voting are asked to fill out a replica polling card after they have cast their real vote.

Tens of thousands of people are asked to fill out another polling card so these can be looked at before all votes have been counted.

This gives an indication as to how some people have voted, so may give an early indication as to which party is in the lead.

Fieldworkers from Ipsos Mori descend on the chosen polling stations to count up who could win.

45 minutes to go

Tick, tock, tick, tock...

Three-quarters of an hour to go.

And just an hour until Piers Morgan joins Harry Cole on our special edition of Never Mind The Ballots LIVE - which you can watch right here.

Expect fiery takes and star-studded guests as our Political Editor gives his gut reaction to the first indication of the results.

And where should you be watching?

Away from the hustle and bustle of the big seats, there are still some very close races to watch... and here they are.

1 - Clacton

2 - Richmond and Northallerton

3 - Bristol Central

4 - Rochdale

5 - Nuneaton

6 - Bournemouth East and Bournemouth West

7 - Ashfield 

8 - Cannock Chase

9 - Birmingham Ladywood

10 - Hamilton and Clyde Valley

Read why in our full piece here...

One hour to go

You have one hour left to cast your vote in this General Election - make sure you use it!

In just 60 minutes' time, the polls will slam shut and we'll get our exit poll - the first indication as to how this vote may have gone.

So who's on the way out?

On a night of Tory routs, these are some of the big names expected to lose their seat in the House of Commons.

Here are the top 10 big ones...

1 - Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer

2 - Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons

3 - Alex Chalk, Justice Secretary

4 - Mark Harper, Transport Secretary

5 - Johnny Mercer, Veterans Minister

6 - Jacob Rees-Mogg, former Business Secretary

7 - Gillian Keegan, Education Secretary

8 - Grant Shapps, Defence Secretary

9 - Iain Duncan Smith, Former Tory Party Leader

10 - Victoria Prentis, Attorney General

Read the full list here...

So who's on the way out?

On a night of Tory routs, these are some of the big names expected to lose their seat in the House of Commons.

Here are the top 10 big ones...

1 - Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer

2 - Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons

3 - Alex Chalk, Justice Secretary

4 - Mark Harper, Transport Secretary

5 - Johnny Mercer, Veterans Minister

6 - Jacob Rees-Mogg, former Business Secretary

7 - Gillian Keegan, Education Secretary

8 - Grant Shapps, Defence Secretary

9 - Iain Duncan Smith, Former Tory Party Leader

10 - Victoria Prentis, Attorney General

Read the full list here...

A reminder of tonight’s timings…

Tonight will be fairly manic from start to finish, so here’s a handy guide to the key timings you’ll need.

12.15am - Tory chairman Richard Holden could be the first big beast to lose in his Basildon and Billericay seat

2am - Tory leadership fave Kemi Badenoch is expected to win her new seat of Essex North West

2.45am - Deputy PM Oliver Dowden is fighting to hang on in Hertsmere

3am - Jeremy Corbyn could lose the Islington North seat he has held for 40 years

3.30am - Penny Mordaunt’s Portsmouth North seat is facing an onslaught from Labour and could turn red

3.30am - Jeremy Hunt could become the first sitting Chancellor to be ousted as the Lib Dems eye his Godalming and Ash seat

4am- Nigel Farage will learn whether his eight shot at Parliament is successful in Clacton

4am - Rishi Sunak should win his Yorkshire seat of Richmond and Northallerton - where he might concede the election to Labour

4am - Reform chairman Richard Tice is hoping for victory in Boston and Skegness - the biggest Brexit-voting seat

4.15am - Sir Keir Starmer will comfortably win in Holborn and St Pancras and will be the first time we hear from him

5am - Former PM Liz Truss will learn if she has hung on to Norfolk South West where she is defending a 24,000 majority

The leaders cast their votes

No prizes for guessing how these two voted.

Both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer were snapped casting their ballots this morning.

Sir Keir was in Central London, for his Holborn constituency, while the PM was in Richmond, in Yorkshire.

The leaders cast their votes

No prizes for guessing how these two voted.

Both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer were snapped casting their ballots this morning.

Sir Keir was in Central London, for his Holborn constituency, while the PM was in Richmond, in Yorkshire.

A reminder of the last best guess

Yesterday YouGov's final poll had Labour in line for a 212-seat majority - the largest since 1832.

Here's the seat-by-seat breakdown:

Things can only get wetter

If you've had enough of polling forecasts then, well, frankly, I have too.

So here's a different kind... the weather! And whoever it is that will march into No.10 tomorrow may need to prepare a bit better than Rishi Sunak when he called the election in the pouring rain 73 years ago (... wait, it was May 22?)

In my best weather voice, I can tell you dark clouds will drift in over Downing Street - with showers throughout the late morning and early afternoon.

Anyone got an umbrella?

Are you sitting comfortably?

Good evening from Sun HQ!

We’re Thomas Godfrey and Sophia Sleigh, and we’ll be guiding you through the next 10 hours of election madness.

This is a campaign where we have been told to expect the unexpected yet the result has seemingly never been in doubt – whatever way you look at it, Labour are expected to win Keir, there and everywhere…

If you believe the polls, in 90 minutes’ time we’ll learn the size of the Labour majority Sir Keir Starmer could take to Westminster on Monday.

A reminder we’ll have a special live version of Never Mind The Ballots at 10.15pm – 15 minutes after the exit poll drops – with Harry Cole and Kate Ferguson.

So - are you sitting comfortably?

 10 key seats to watch on election night

There are 650 seats up for grabs in this election – but just a select few will change how Parliament is made up for the next five years.

From Nigel Farage’s thunderbolt return in Clacton to even the PM’s own seat, the one thing we can be certain about is that there are no dead certains once every vote is in.

Below, we take a look at ten key races that could impact the final results.

How have recent elections played out?

As many of you will know, the Conservative Party has been in government for 14 years now, but each election since 2010 has had its twists and turns.

Here’s how each played out:

• 2010 – Cameron falls short – David Cameron forms a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats after falling short of a majority.
• 2015 – Cameron wins majority – Cameron turns on his Lib Dem partner Nick Clegg, winning a majority and cementing Tory power.
• 2017 – May’s error – PM Theresa May was riding high in the polls in the spring of 2017 but a string of disastrous policy announcements saw Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn close the gap and the Tories lose their majority.
• 2019 – Boris sweeps it – Despite positive signs in 2017, the 2019 election would prove to be cataclysmic for Corbyn’s Labour, Boris Johnson would sweep the nation, winning a massive majority for the Tories.

Nigel Farage enjoys an ice cream as he meets Clacton voters

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was out enjoying the Essex sunshine this afternoon as he met with voters in Clacton.

Farage took selfies with locals as he visited the pier.

We won’t be seeing Farage at the polling booth today, as the Brexiteer already cast his vote by post.

Labour set for storming victory, latest poll YouGov shows

With millions of Brits heading to the polls today, the final YouGov poll is predicting a massive Labour Majority...