Britain has a new Prime Minister as Keir meets the King: Starmer arrives is handed the keys to No10 after securing massive 'meh-jority' thanks to backlash against Tories - as defeated Rishi bows out with wife at his side

Keir Starmer arrived astatine Buckingham Palace contiguous to beryllium formally installed arsenic Britain's 58th PM aft benefiting from voters' damning verdict connected the Tories.

The Labour leader, with woman Victoria, was driven up to the Palace for his assemblage with the King soon aft Rishi Sunak exited, having tendered his resignation. 

The time-honoured choreography comes arsenic Sir Keir's bulk ticks up to 170, conscionable abbreviated of Tony Blair's 179 successful 1997. The Tories person 121 with conscionable 2 near to declare, acold worse than their erstwhile nadir of 156 successful 1906.

The Lib Dems besides inflicted monolithic symptom connected the Conservatives, racking up a grounds 71 seats arsenic Reform leeched millions of votes and came 2nd successful astir a 100 constituencies - but lone scored 4 MPs of their own. 

However, Labour's triumph is being dubbed a 'loveless landslide' and a 'super meh-jority', having received hardly 1 successful 3 votes crossed the UK.

Polling experts highlighted however Labour's ballot stock of 33.8 per cent is apt to beryllium little than immoderate of Sir Tony's wide predetermination victories successful 1997, 2001 oregon 2005.

It is adjacent little than the 40 per cent ballot stock hard-left Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn secured successful 2017 and little than the 36.1 per cent David Cameron got for the Conservatives successful 2010 erstwhile that year's predetermination ended successful a hung parliament.

Some newly-elected Labour MPs suggested the nationalist volition beryllium reasoning astir overhauling Britain's voting strategy successful the aftermath of the party's triumph, portion Corbyn's allies swiped that Sir Keir had won 'by default' owed to the melodramatic illness successful Conservative support.

Less than an hr earlier Sir Keir arrived astatine the Palace, Mr Sunak bade goodbye to Downing Street aft starring the Tories to their worst ever predetermination result. 

Flanked by intelligibly affectional woman Akshata, the PM delivered his parting connection extracurricular the celebrated achromatic doorway saying helium was 'sorry' and had 'heard the anger' of the state and the 'clear message' of the ballot. 

Sir Keir trumpeted his triumph astatine a rally successful central London in the aboriginal hours aft the enactment formally crested the 325 seats needed to power the Commons, saying 'we did it!' 

Sealing his triumph with a buss from Victoria, helium said the British radical had 'voted to crook the page' connected 14 years of Conservative regularisation - and delivered a riposte to his critics saying determination was 'nothing inevitable' astir the outcome. 

In a jaw-dropping moment, Liz Truss was among the casualties - giving up a monumental 24,000 bulk arsenic she was edged retired by Labour successful South West Norfolk.  

Earlier, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps fell victims to a brutal Tory cull arsenic Labour swept towards predetermination victory.

A glum-looking Defence Secretary suffered a 'Portillo Moment' arsenic helium was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by astir 3,000 votes.

In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had 'lost' the predetermination alternatively than Labour winning it - and 'tried the patience' of the nationalist by being divided.

In different rollercoaster developments:

• The Greens person enjoyed a bumper nighttime winning 5 seats, adding 4 to their tally from 2019; 
• Labour's wide enactment successful Britain has lone gone up by 2 per cent, according to polling guru John Curtice, and that is wholly owed to a 19 per cent boost successful Scotland; 
• Reform has racked up votes and astir 100 2nd places, but fallen abbreviated of breakthroughs predicted successful the archetypal exit poll;
• The SNP has been among the biggest losers, facing being slashed to 8 MPs, meaning they would nary longer beryllium the biggest enactment successful Scotland;
• George Galloway has been ousted by Labour's Paul Waugh successful Rochdale, aft winning the spot successful a by-election previously; 
• Turnout has been acold little than astatine the past fewer wide elections; 
• The Lib Dems claimed triumph successful Tunbridge Wells, which has been Tory since the spot was created successful the 1970s, successful Boris Johnson's aged spot of Henley and successful David Cameron's stronghold of Witney;
• The 2024 wide predetermination results successful full: Live maps and charts 

In his valedictory speech, Mr Sunak said: 'I person fixed this occupation my all. But you person sent a wide message, and yours is the lone judgement that matters. 

'This is simply a hard day, but I permission this occupation honoured to person been Prime Minister of the champion state successful the world.'

Mr Sunak said helium would resign arsenic Tory leader once a replacement had been chosen. He besides paid tribute to Sir Keir arsenic a nationalist servant, wishing him and his household good successful their caller duties.

After his abbreviated code the mates - not accompanied by their daughters and with Akshata carrying an umbrella - walked to a waiting car and were driven distant to the Palace.  

Polling adept Sir John Curtice noted however Labour's ballot stock was expected to beryllium up by conscionable nether 2 percent points crossed the state from 2019.

He said Labour's triumph was 'largely connected the backmost of a melodramatic 20 constituent diminution successful Conservative support'. 

In an nonfiction for the BBC, Sir John added the summation successful Labour's ballot stock was 'entirely arsenic a effect of a 17 constituent summation successful enactment successful Scotland'.

'In Wales, the party's ballot has really fallen backmost by 4 points, portion successful England the party's ballot is mostly unchanged from 2019,' helium wrote.

'It is imaginable that Labour volition unafraid its landslide connected a little stock of the ballot (35 per cent successful Great Britain) than immoderate of Tony Blair's victories, including the 36 per cent the enactment won successful 2005.

'That itself was hitherto the lowest stock of the ballot won by a bulk azygous enactment government. In galore ways, this looks much similar an predetermination the Conservatives person mislaid than 1 Labour has won.'

Asked astir her party's debased ballot stock but immense majority, Labour MP Dawn Butler said: 'I deliberation what the treatment volition beryllium astir volition beryllium proportional representation.

'The nationalist volition beryllium talking astir proportional practice and whether we request to person a statement astir it. I've ever said that we bash request to person a statement astir it.'

Channel 4 governmental exertion Gary Gibbon said: 'That monolithic fig has been delivered with a comparatively tiny percent of the people.

'That looks similar emotion but that is simply a loveless landslide. There has not been the benignant of enthusiasm that you mightiness expect retired there.'

Mr Corbyn's erstwhile spokesman, Matt Zarb-Cousin, said: 'Labour is already peddling a communicative that this triumph is down to a changed Labour Party.

'The world of people is Keir Starmer was holding the walk the parcel astatine the close time, erstwhile the Tories yet imploded. So they've won by default, connected a little stock of the ballot than 2017.'

Welsh Secretary David Davies, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Science curate Michelle Donelan, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk were beaten during a traumatic nighttime for the Tories.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt hardly survived successful Godalming & Ash. Altogether astatine slightest 16 ministers person gone, with Johnny Mercer and Therese Coffey beaten by Labour.

Jacob Rees-Mogg besides tumbled successful North East Somerset and Hanham. However, erstwhile Tory person Sir Iain Duncan Smith amazed galore by clinging connected successful Chingford.

There are present nary Tory MPs successful Wales aft Craig Williams, a erstwhile Tory adjutant to Mr Sunak, came 3rd successful Mongomeryshire arsenic an autarkic aft being embroiled successful a gambling enactment implicit the day of the election.

However, determination were notable setbacks for Labour with frontbencher Jonathan Ashworth losing to a pro-Gaza autarkic successful Leicester, and shadiness wellness caput Wes Streeting hardly fending disconnected a akin challenge.

Another shadiness furniture minister, Thangam Debonaire, was picked disconnected by the Greens successful Bristol Central. 

Reform UK person Nigel Farage yet enters Parliament successful Clacton aft his eighth effort to go an MP, portion his enactment workfellow Lee Anderson has retained Ashfield, Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth and Richard Tice scooped Boston and Skegness. 

In his code astatine the Tate Modern creation gallery, Sir Keir said: 'It feels good, I person to beryllium honest. Four-and-a-half years of enactment changing the party, this is what it is for – a changed Labour Party acceptable to service our country, acceptable to reconstruct Britain to the work of moving people.

'And crossed our country, radical volition beryllium waking up to the news, alleviation that a value has been lifted, a load yet removed from the shoulders of this large nation.

'And present we tin look forward, locomotion into the morning, the sunlight of hope, airy astatine archetypal but getting stronger done the day, shining erstwhile again, connected a state with the accidental aft 14 years to get its aboriginal back.'

At his acceptance code aft being re-elected successful Richmond and Northallerton, Mr Sunak said: 'The Labour Party has won this General Election and I person called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him connected his victory.'

Mr Sunak added: 'The British radical person delivered a sobering verdict tonight, determination is overmuch to learn… and I instrumentality work for the loss.'

The Labour person said 'change begins now' arsenic helium was re-elected successful Holborn & St Pancras, but his ain bulk was reduced by a left-wing independent. 

Mr Shapps was the archetypal confirmed Cabinet casualty and helium deed retired astatine the Tory 'soap opera' which had turned disconnected voters.

'On doorway aft door, voters person been dismayed by our inability to robust retired our differences successful backstage and bash that and past beryllium agreed successful public,' helium said.

'Instead we person tried the patience of accepted Conservative voters with a propensity to make an endless governmental soap opera retired of interior rivalries and divisions which person go progressively indulgent and entrenched.'

He said determination was a information the Tory enactment could 'go disconnected connected immoderate tangent, condemning ourselves to years of lacklustre opposition'.

Ms Mordaunt, who is apt to person been a enactment contender if she had survived, said her enactment had taken a 'battering due to the fact that it failed to honour the spot that radical had placed successful it'.

She excessively warned against a retreat to the right: 'Our renewal arsenic a enactment and a state volition not beryllium achieved by america talking to an ever smaller portion of ourselves but being guided by the radical of our country. And if we privation again to beryllium the earthy enactment of government, past our values indispensable beryllium the people's.

Former location caput Suella Braverman, who volition present beryllium considered a starring contender to regenerate Mr Suank, said the enactment had fto the British radical down.

'You, the large British people, voted for america implicit 14 years and we did not support our promises,' she said.

'I volition bash everything successful my powerfulness to rebuild trust.

'We request to perceive to you, you person spoken to america precise clearly.'

Party seat Ric Holden won a hopeless conflict for Basildon & Billericay, emerging connected apical by conscionable 20 votes aft a bid of recounts.  

Mr Sunak is expected to denote helium is quitting arsenic person but enactment connected until a replacement is chosen. 

Ex-home caput Suella Braverman, astatine her count, said she was 'sorry' for the behaviour of her enactment and however it had abandoned halfway supporters' values. 

Sir Keir's state Lord Mandelson gloated that helium was 'gobsmacked' and an 'electoral meteor' had 'struck satellite Earth'. He said it would person required a 'superman' to prevention the Tories and Rishi Sunak 'is not superman'.

Shadow wellness caput Wes Streeting was successful tears arsenic helium was told the figures connected unrecorded TV. 

A dire run for Mr Sunak came stuttering to a halt past night, with the PM making a bid much antiaircraft visits successful the South East.

He present faces being retired of Downing Street this morning.

Former Scottish Conservative person Ruth Davidson told Sky News that it looked similar a 'massacre'.

The Tories person rapidly plunged into a unsafe caller signifier of crisis, with questions implicit whether it tin adjacent past amid the situation from Reform.

A erstwhile Cabinet curate - who regarded their ain important bulk arsenic nether menace - said Mr Sunak had 'knifed' Boris Johnson and would beryllium remembered arsenic the 'worst PM ever'. 

In the archetypal tangible grounds of the hammering, Labour's Heidi Alexander took ex-Cabinet curate Robert Buckland's Swindon South spot with a 9,000 majority. 

But Sir Robert gave a stark informing against the Tories lurching to the right, saying the enactment risked being similar 'bald men warring implicit a comb' if it treated authorities arsenic 'performance art' and tried to outflank Reform. 

Sir John Curtice told the BBC: 'It looks arsenic though Reform whitethorn triumph much seats than galore polls suggested.

'This is mostly because, not lone has the Conservative ballot fallen acold successful seats they antecedently held, but besides due to the fact that Reform has precocious astir successful areas radical voted Leave successful the 2016 EU referendum.

'However, however galore seats Reform volition triumph is highly uncertain – our exemplary suggests determination are galore places wherever they person immoderate - but a comparatively debased - accidental of winning.'

Mr Farage hailed signs of a breakthrough aft Reform pushed the Tories into 3rd spot successful 2 aboriginal constituency results.

On a video posted to X helium said: 'It's midnight, determination are 2 results successful from the north-east of England that enactment Reform connected 30 per cent of the vote, that is mode much than immoderate imaginable prediction oregon projection. It is astir unbelievable.

'And what does it mean? It means we're going to triumph seats, galore many seats I deliberation close present crossed the country.

'But to ticker the TV sum it's astir comical. There's not a azygous typical connected determination from Reform UK, mainstream media are successful denial conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic our governmental parties.

'This is going to beryllium six cardinal votes-plus. This, folks, is huge.'

A Conservative spokesperson said they had to hold for the afloat outcome, but added: 'If these results are close it is wide that Starmer and Angela Rayner volition beryllium successful Downing Street tomorrow.' 

Conservatives with large majorities had go progressively tense during the day, contempt CCHQ claiming that higher-than-expected turnout could assistance them.

One erstwhile Cabinet curate told MailOnline: 'There appears to beryllium a bigger turnout than mean successful immoderate of my areas. Not each though.

'That would look to bespeak a determination connected the portion of the electorate to marque their views heard, astir surely apt to beryllium against the Tories.'

Former Labour person Lord Neil Kinnock said the exit poll's landslide prediction was 'the top comeback since Lazarus'.

The erstwhile Labour person told ITV News: 'A summation of 208, according to the exit poll, which is attributable straight to Keir Starmer and what he's achieved successful 4 years, 2 of which of people were during the lockdown, oregon the virtual lockdown erstwhile the 1 happening that absorption leaders beryllium connected – interaction with the nationalist – was absent.

'It's the biggest comeback since Lazarus.'

He went on: 'I indispensable accidental I'm conscionable ecstatic astir the information that an wholly dependable, afloat grown-up guy, Keir Starmer, and his wife, are going to spell done that doorway tomorrow. I person unalloyed and unreserved delight.'

Less than an hr earlier the exit canvass dropped, Downing Street released a dissolution honours database - sending 7 Tories and 8 Labour politicians to the Lords. They see Theresa May, Rishi Sunak's main adjutant Liam Booth-Smith, Chris Grayling and erstwhile 1922 committee seat Graham Brady.

Harriet Harman and Margaret Beckett are among those connected the Labour database - contempt Sir Keir having committed to abolishing the Upper House. 

Mr Sunak took a immense governmental gamble and shocked Westminster by triggering the election connected May 22, alternatively than waiting until the Autumn arsenic had been wide expected.

It initially looked to beryllium paying off, with aboriginal policies from the Tory run - specified arsenic nationalist national work - seeming to chopped through.

In a large moment, Mr Farage responded by ruling retired lasting arsenic a Reform candidate, admitting helium did not person clip to enactment unneurotic a campaign.

But adjacent past the Tories did not spot a existent bounce successful the polls. The Tories mislaid cardinal authorities including Mr Sunak's flagship smoking prohibition during the 'wash-up' arsenic Parliament was dissolved for the campaign.

And past a grim week successful aboriginal June saw things spell spectacularly downhill, with Mr Farage dropping the bombshell that had changed his caput and was taking implicit the enactment of Reform arsenic good arsenic lasting to beryllium MP for Clacton.

Although Mr Sunak was seen arsenic landing blows connected Sir Keir implicit taxation during their archetypal TV statement connected June 4, catastrophe struck erstwhile the PM opted to instrumentality aboriginal from D-Day day commemorations successful France to behaviour an interrogation with ITV.

A consequent grovelling apology did not forestall Mr Farage and opponents seizing connected the blunder, which struck close astatine the bosom of the Tory extremity of shoring up the halfway ballot among older generations.

With polls already showing Reform eating into Tory enactment with potent attacks connected immigration, Mr Sunak was past engulfed successful different scandal.

It emerged that his closest Parliamentary aide, Craig Williams had successfully placed bets connected the day of the drawback predetermination - though helium insisted helium did not person immoderate wrong information.

Other candidates and apical enactment officials were past dragged into the allegations, which proved peculiarly toxic with the public. 

Mr Sunak was memorably challenged connected the contented during TV appearances, admitting helium was 'incredibly angry'. But helium was seen arsenic taking acold excessively agelong to retreat enactment for candidates facing allegations.

With immoderate polls adjacent showing Reform up of the Tories, CCHQ shifted tactics to pass of the menace of a divided Right handing Labour a 'supermajority' with untrammeled power.

That unneurotic with arguable remarks from Mr Farage astir the West 'provoking' Russia's penetration of Ukraine, and revelations astir unsavoury comments by a bid of Reform candidates looked to person stopped the bleeding.

But aft a bruising six weeks Labour's immense vantage was intact, and the lone important alteration was that the Tories had mislaid crushed to Reform. 

By yesterday, contempt Mr Sunak's assertion helium was 'fighting hard for each vote', his adjacent state Mel Stride was efficaciously acknowledging the Conservatives would suffer - an unprecedented step. 

The Work and Pensions Secretary said Labour would get an 'extraordinary landslide connected a standard that has astir apt never, ever been seen successful this state before'. 

As hostility built done predetermination day, the Tories claimed a higher-than-expected turnout had near them with a 'MUCH amended chance' than cataclysmic polls had suggested.

An email to Conservative supporters, signed from the 'CCHQ Data Team', read: 'We're getting reports from our teams connected the ground. And the much reports we get, the much it looks similar turnout is higher than expected.

'That means we could person a MUCH amended accidental than polls person suggested. So if you haven't voted yet, now's the clip to get out.'

Queues of radical were seen astatine polling stations contiguous arsenic the request for voters to bring correct photograph recognition - specified arsenic a passport oregon driving licence - was enforced astatine a UK wide predetermination for the archetypal time.

There was a bungle astatine a Glasgow polling presumption this greeting arsenic voters were met with posters listing the incorrect instructions, which erroneously advised the ranking of candidates successful bid of preference.

This is however ballots are formed successful local elections successful Scotland, which usage the azygous transferable ballot system. But wide elections usage the first-past-the-post system, which requires voters to enactment a azygous 'X' adjacent to their chosen candidate.

Glasgow City Council explained the mistake was spotted 'very soon' aft the polling presumption opened astatine 7am and the posters were replaced with the close information. It said no-one had been disenfranchised arsenic voters' archetypal preferences would beryllium utilized from the affected ballots.

Cabinet curate Kemi Badenoch this day blasted her ain section assembly for having 'potentially disenfranchised' thousands of postal voters who did not person their ballot papers.

The Business Secretary deed retired at Uttlesford District Council for 'forgetting' to nonstop postal votes to 2,600 radical successful her North West Essex seat.

Prior to polls opening this morning, Rishi Sunak made an 11th-hour plea for voters to forestall a 'socialist supermajority' wrecking Britain, arsenic helium repeated his informing against handing Sir Keir 'unchecked' power.