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Conservatives largest party - exit poll

Theresa May's Conservatives are set to be the largest party, according to the exit poll, but may have lost their majority.

UK vote share after 163 of 650 seats

Party	%
LAB Labour	43.1
CON Conservative	39.4
LD Liberal Democrat	4.8
SNP Scottish National Party	4.1
UKIP UKIP	2.2
DUP Democratic Unionist Party	1.4

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after 163 of 650 seats

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General Election 2017 results

Party	Seats	Net change in seats +/-	Votes	Vote Share	Net percentage change in seats +/- %


Party Labour	79	Net change in seats +6	Votes 3,250,690	Vote Share 43.1	Net change in seats +9.2
Party Conservative	63	Net change in seats 0	Votes 2,973,865	Vote Share 39.4	Net change in seats +7.0
Party Scottish National Party	13	Net change in seats -5	Votes 310,885	Vote Share 4.1	Net change in seats -2.5
Party Democratic Unionist Party	4	Net change in seats +1	Votes 107,424	Vote Share 1.4	Net change in seats +0.4
Party Plaid Cymru	2	Net change in seats 0	Votes 105,081	Vote Share 1.4	Net change in seats -0.2
Party Sinn Fein	1	Net change in seats 0	Votes 48,966	Vote Share 0.6	Net change in seats +0.2
Party Liberal Democrat	0	Net change in seats -1	Votes 363,740	Vote Share 4.8	Net change in seats -0.7
Party UKIP	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 165,366	Vote Share 2.2	Net change in seats -11.3
Party Green Party	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 93,446	Vote Share 1.2	Net change in seats -1.7
Party Ulster Unionist Party	0	Net change in seats -1	Votes 28,387	Vote Share 0.4	Net change in seats 0.0
Party Alliance Party	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 20,800	Vote Share 0.3	Net change in seats 0.0
Party Social Democratic & Labour Party	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 15,833	Vote Share 0.2	Net change in seats 0.0
Party The Yorkshire Party	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 2,561	Vote Share 0.0	Net change in seats 0.0
Party British National Party	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 1,101	Vote Share 0.0	Net change in seats 0.0
Party Monster Raving Loony Party	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 667	Vote Share 0.0	Net change in seats 0.0
Party English Democrats	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 287	Vote Share 0.0	Net change in seats 0.0
Party Women's Equality Party	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 177	Vote Share 0.0	Net change in seats 0.0
Party Workers Revolutionary Party	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 137	Vote Share 0.0	Net change in seats 0.0
Party Pirate Party	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 127	Vote Share 0.0	Net change in seats 0.0
Party Social Democratic Party	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 111	Vote Share 0.0	Net change in seats 0.0
Party Christian Peoples Alliance	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 0	Vote Share 0.0	Net change in seats 0.0
Party National Health Action	0	Net change in seats 0	Votes 0	Vote Share 0.0	Net change in seats 0.0
Party Others	1	Net change in seats 0	Votes 49,658	Vote Share 0.7	Net change in seats +0.2
after 163 of 650 seats Change compared with 2015

Turnout and Electorate

Turnout

67.1%

Electorate

46,843,896

Election 2017: Tories to be largest party - exit poll

Britain's Conservative Party will be the largest party but may not have a majority after the UK's snap general election, an exit poll says.

The survey taken at polling stations across the UK suggests the party could get 314 MPs when all the votes have been counted after Thursday's poll.

Labour would get 266, the Lib Dems 14, UKIP none and the SNP 34, the NOP/Ipsos MORI poll for BBC/ITV/Sky suggests.

The pound fell sharply in value after the exit poll was published.

Early results are suggesting a swing to Labour - but it is too early to say whether the exit poll is accurate.

Veteran Conservative MP Ken Clarke said he believed his party would have a "small overall majority" when all the votes have been counted.

The final election results are expected by Friday lunchtime.

Election results live updates

A total of 650 Westminster MPs will be elected, with about 45.8 million people entitled to vote. A party needs 326 seats to have an overall majority

Prime Minister Theresa May - who had a small majority in the previous parliament - called the snap election to try to strengthen her hand in negotiations with the European Union on Brexit.

But if the exit poll is borne out by results, analysts say the PM will have made a serious miscalculation.

The pound fell sharply after the exit poll as traders had been expected a clear victory for Mrs May's party with an overall majority in the House of Commons.

The exit poll suggests the Conservatives will be 12 seats short of an overall majority.

It suggests Labour will gain 34 seats, the Conservatives lose 17 seats, the Lib Dems will gain six and the SNP lose 22 seats in Scotland.

The Green Party would be unchanged with one seat and Plaid Cymru still have three MPs in Wales, according to the poll.

In total, 30,450 people were interviewed as they exited from 144 polling stations across the UK.

Have Tories' hopes been dashed? Analysis by BBC Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg

If the exit poll numbers are correct, Theresa May played a high risk political game and has lost it - she didn't have to call this election, and only did so in order to give herself a mandate and breathing space during the bumpy ride of Brexit.

Just a few weeks ago at the start of all of this she seemed unassailable, but a shaky campaign and an insurgent Labour Party may have dashed the Tories' hopes

This exit poll result is not what either of the parties were predicting privately - this would be another political surprise - the public again defying the expectations of both the main sides.

The Conservatives do look set to be the largest party, it's not clear on these numbers if they will be able to govern alone. Theresa May's promise throughout was to offer her catchphrase "strong and stable leadership" - instead she may end diminished - but only of course the real results will determine through the course of the night what really happens next.

The Conservatives could still secure an overall majority if, as the exit poll suggests, they perform relatively well in constituencies that Labour are defending where a majority of the electorate voted Leave in last year's EU referendum.

They would also need to do better in marginal seats they are defending.

If neither of these patterns materialises, but the exit poll's estimate of the overall levels of support for the parties is correct, then the Conservatives could lose their overall majority.

In addition, there is some evidence from the exit poll that the Conservatives will perform relatively well in Wales.

If the exit poll is correct the SNP could suffer heavier losses than were widely anticipated in advance of polling day.

Indeed this, together with clear evidence of a Conservative revival north of the border, may yet provide the Tories with the extra seats that they might need to secure an overall majority.

Why the election matters - it's all about Brexit

The election will largely determine the UK's negotiation policies in upcoming negotiations with the EU on Brexit.

Theresa May was against Brexit before last year's referendum - but now says there can be no turning back and that "Brexit means Brexit".

The reason the prime minister gave for calling the election was to strengthen her hand during the negotiations.

The Conservatives' priorities were set out in a 12-point plan published in January and the letter formally invoking Brexit in March.

The key elements include:

No longer being bound by EU law and European Court of Justice rulings

Quitting the EU single market and seeking a "comprehensive" free trade deal in its place

Striking trade deals with other countries around the world

The Labour Party campaigned against Brexit in the referendum but now says the result must be honoured, and is aiming for a "close new relationship with the EU" with workers' rights protected.

The party has set out several demands and tests it says Brexit must meet. These include:

Aiming for "tariff-free access" to the EU single market, while accepting "unchanged access" is impossible

Leaving the option of the customs union on the table

Refusing to accept a "no deal" scenario

Where UK's parties stand on Brexit

What about a possible impact on the UK economy?

When the election exit poll was revealed, the pound immediately dropped by 2% as investors took a position that a hung parliament was a possible outcome, writes BBC's Economics Editor Kamal Ahmed.

Image copyright Reuters

South Africa: 10,000 Knysna residents evacuated amid fire

Up to 10,000 people have been evacuated from a scenic coastal town in South Africa that has been devastated by wildfires, officials have said.

Military equipment was being deployed to douse more than 25 fires in Knysna, they added.

At least eight people have been killed in the storms and fires that have been raging in the town and other areas of the Western Cape region.

Strong winds from the worst winter storm in 30 years fuelled the fires.

Africa Live: More updates on this and other stories

At least 150 properties have been destroyed in Knysna, according to the fire service.

The town has a population of 77,000. It lies 500km (310 miles) east of Cape Town on South Africa's famed Garden Route.

"Humanitarian support is being co-ordinated for an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 residents of the Greater Knysna area, after devastating fires," said James-Brent Styan, spokesman for the Western Cape local government ministry.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) would assist in a water-bombing operation to extinguish the fires, its spokesman Simphiwe Dlamini said.

About 150 troops would also be deployed to make sure that criminals do not loot properties that have been vacated, he added.

In May, the Western Cape province declared a drought disaster after two reservoirs had completely dried up. It was said to have been the region's worst drought in more than a century.

Several other southern African nations were also affected by the two-year drought, which was caused by the El Nino climate phenomenon.

BBC NEWS

However, many parts of the region are now experiencing bumper maize harvests.

Qatar vows 'no surrender' in row with Arab states

Qatar has vowed it will "not surrender" its foreign policy in a row with other Arab states over its alleged connections to extremism.

Foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said he favoured diplomacy to resolve the escalating crisis and that there was no military solution, Reuters reported.

Qatar rejects claims it is a leading supporter of Islamist extremism.

Meanwhile, Qatar's Al Jazeera network said it was suffering a cyber-attack.

"Al Jazeera Media Network under cyber-attack on all systems, websites and social media platforms," it tweeted. The network has been in the crosshairs in the current dispute, and other Gulf countries blocked it in late May.

On its website, Al Jazeera said its services were all still working but the attacks "are gaining intensity and taking various forms".

Meanwhile, Qatar's state-run TV station later said it was shutting down its website temporarily because of hacking attempts.

In other developments:

Egypt urged the UN Security Council to launch an investigation into claims that Qatar paid a ransom of up to $1bn (£770m) to secure the release of royal family members kidnapped while hunting in southern Iraq
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister flew to Oman for talks but officials did not elaborate. Oman has so far not been involved in the action against Qatar.

Saudi Arabia and other states cut travel and diplomatic links on Monday. The emir of Kuwait is trying to mediate the row, carrying out shuttle diplomacy between Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Qatar out of step: BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins

This is a region largely of absolute monarchs - kings or emirs - who have in common a very firm grip on politics at home to head off any dissent that could represent a threat to their individual regime survival.

But the emir of Qatar pursues a series of policies that simply don't fit into the rigid orthodoxy expected by most of the others, notably Saudi Arabia, the superpower of Sunni Islam.

His unconventional foreign policy is seen as a threat to Sunni solidarity, particularly because the emir and his ministers promote dialogue and a search for good relations with the rival regional superpower, Shia Muslim Iran.

Saudi Arabia is deeply hostile to that approach, and now feels empowered to turn that hostility to action, in the certain knowledge that a new US president, Donald Trump, is at Saudi King Salman's side.

Read more from James

Addressing reporters in Doha on Thursday, Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar had been isolated "because we are successful and progressive".

"We are a platform for peace not terrorism. This dispute is threatening the stability of the entire region," he said, adding: "We are not ready to surrender, and will never be ready to surrender, the independence of our foreign policy."

He said Iran had offered the use of three of its ports to ship food and water to Qatar as supplies ran low, but he said the offer had not yet been accepted.

Qatar is heavily dependent on food imports and the crisis has led to stockpiling and shortages.

Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar had never before experienced such hostility.

In another development, Russia said Sheikh Mohammed would fly to Moscow for talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Saturday.

They will discuss "urgent international" issues, Tass news agency reported, but there were no further details.

BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins says Russia's intervention could complicate existing efforts to defuse the situation.

Several countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt cut diplomatic and flight links with Qatar on Monday. Saudi Arabia also closed its land border, a vital lifeline for supplies.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has said Qatar needs to cut ties with Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the occupied territories, and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, if it wanted to end its isolation.

Meanwhile, Bahrain has joined the UAE in threatening jail terms for anyone voicing support for Qatar.

"Any expression of sympathy with the government of Qatar or opposition to the measures taken by the government of Bahrain, whether through social media, Twitter or any other form of communication, is a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine," a statement from the interior ministry said.

Turkey, in an apparent act of support for Qatar, has approved a bill allowing more troops to be based there. The Turkish president has also offered to mediate.

Qatar is also home to the biggest American air base in the region.

US President Donald Trump urged Gulf unity in a call to Saudi Arabia's King Salman, US officials said on Wednesday.

However, he had earlier claimed credit for the pressure placed on Qatar saying his recent visit to Saudi Arabia was "already paying off".

BBC NEWS

Trump's lawyer Marc Kasowitz rejects James Comey's allegations

US President Donald Trump's personal lawyer has rejected allegations made by James Comey, the former FBI director, before US lawmakers.

Marc Kasowitz said Mr Trump never sought to impede the investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

He suggested that leaks by Mr Comey should themselves be investigated.

Mr Comey told Congress that the Trump administration's comments about him and the FBI were "lies plain and simple".

He told a Senate committee they were wrong to denigrate the agency and its leadership.

Mr Comey was also "confused" by the "shifting explanations" for his sacking, which came as he led a probe into any links between the Trump campaign and Moscow.

When reporters asked Mr Trump himself whether he thought Mr Comey was telling the truth, he did not respond but simply pursed his lips and smiled.

Mr Trump's attorney, Marc Kasowitz, said in a statement that Mr Comey's testimony "finally confirmed publicly" that the president was not under investigation as part of any probe in Russian political meddling.

In the statement, Mr Trump also denied asking Mr Comey for his loyalty or to drop an investigation into fired national security adviser Michael Flynn during private meetings.

In his testimony, Mr Comey said Mr Trump had repeatedly told him he was doing a "great" job.

He also suggested he was fired to "change the way the Russia investigation was being conducted".

The former FBI boss remained largely composed throughout almost three hours of testimony but became impassioned when delivering his opening remarks.

He told the panel that the White House "chose to defame me, and more importantly the FBI" by claiming the agency was "poorly led".

"Those were lies, plain and simple. And I'm so sorry that the FBI workforce had to hear them," he continued.

How the drama unfolded
What questions remain?
Trump v Comey: Who said what

"The FBI is honest. The FBI is strong. And the FBI is and always will be independent," he said in his opening remarks.
Mr Comey was leading one of several Russia investigations before Mr Trump fired him.
US intelligence agencies believe Russia interfered in the US election and they are investigating alleged links between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
But there is no known evidence of collusion and President Donald Trump has dismissed the story as "fake news".
His spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Thursday hit back at Mr Comey, saying: "I can definitively say the president is not a liar."

'Staggering blow' for Trump - Anthony Zurcher, BBC News

For Donald Trump the good news from James Comey's testimony is that the former FBI director clearly said the president was not directly under FBI investigation at the time he was fired. The bad news was, well, everything else.

On multiple occasions, Mr Comey said he was either concerned or knew that the president or his administration was lying "plain and simple" - about the circumstances of his dismissal and about the nature of his meetings with the president.

It's clear the president woefully mishandled this, for which he has paid a high price ever since. By unceremoniously sacking him, and offering a muddle of explanations for it, he created an adversary with both the means and the motivation to respond in the most damaging way.

Mr Comey had a friend leak disturbing information about the president's actions to the media. He was given the biggest spotlight in a generation to publicly air further details. He stood before a Senate committee not just to defend himself, but also the honour of the FBI.

The White House may claim today's testimony is a technical exoneration. Politically, however, it's a staggering blow. And when it comes to the presidency, politics is everything.
Five takeaways from Comey's testimony

During Thursday's testimony, Mr Comey emphasised that Russia's political meddling was "not a close call", adding: "There should be no fuzz on this whatsoever."

When asked by the Senate Intelligence Committee whether the president tried to stop the Russia investigation, Mr Comey said: "Not to my understanding, no."

He said he it was not for him to say whether Mr Trump's actions were an obstruction of justice.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner, the committee's vice chairman, pressed Mr Comey on why he decided to keep a record of his conversations with Mr Trump.
Comey 'confused' by Clinton probe order
Key quotes in Comey prepared statement
The Trump-Russia story - in 200 words

"I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting" he said.

Mr Comey, who published his prepared remarks a day before the hearing, detailed one meeting with Mr Trump in which the president asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions and White House aide Jared Kushner to leave the Oval Office.

"I knew something was about to happen that I needed to pay very close attention to," he said. "I remember thinking that that was a very disturbing development."

During another meeting with Mr Trump, Mr Comey said the president appealed to him to "let go" an investigation into fired national security adviser Michael Flynn and his ties to the Kremlin.

After US media reported the conversation, the president warned Mr Comey in a tweet, saying he "better hope there are no 'tapes' of our conversations".

Mr Comey told the committee he hoped there were tapes, calling on Mr Trump to release them.

"The president surely knows whether he taped me, and if he did my feelings aren't hurt. Release all the tapes, I'm good with it," he said.

The White House has refused to say whether any such tapes exist.

After Mr Trump's tweet about potential tapes, Mr Comey said he realised it was important to release his own account of the story.

He revealed that he asked a "good friend of mine" who is a professor at Columbia Law School to share contents of the memo with a reporter, in order to build pressure for a special counsel.
As a result of this episode, former FBI chief Robert Mueller was appointed as special counsel to lead an independent investigation into the Trump campaign's potential ties to the Kremlin.
Mr Comey said he was "sure" Mr Mueller was also looking at whether Mr Trump obstructed justice.
Mr Trump attacked Mr Comey for leaking the documents, saying it showed that members of the US government are "actively attempting to undermine this administration".

What's the reaction?

"He's new in government, and so therefore I think he's learning as he goes," said Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. "I'm not saying it's an acceptable excuse. It's just my observation."
"If you want to convict the president of being inappropriate, putting Comey in a bad spot, being rude, crude and a bull in a china shop, you would win," Senator Lindsey Graham told the BBC.
"The American people elected a bull in a china shop to help them with their lives, not this."
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said "it's hard to overstate the impact of Jim Comey's testimony today" and that "it seems like the walls are closing in".

BBC NEWS