Election results – live: Boris Johnson says NHS will be priority as he reaches out to Remainers following historic win

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General election 2019: Boris Johnson arrives at Downing Street

Boris Johnson has said he will make the NHS an "overwhelming priority" during his renewed tenure in No. 10 following a political “earthquake” which which saw Labour support give way top a comfortable Tory majority.

However he has not extended the same olive branch to voters north of the border - telling Nicola Sturgeon he would not lend any support to a second independence referendum.

Meanwhile Jeremy Corbyn has refused to take responsibility for the worst Labour showing since 1935 - blaming Brexit for the party’s devastating defeat.

Key Points

• Johnson vows to get Brexit done 'no ifs, no buts'
• Labour figures call on Corbyn to quit immediately
• ...but Corbyn says he won't leave until 'early part of next year'
• Swinson loses seat, leading Sturgeon to celebrate wildly
• 'End of Corbynism,' claims David Cameron
• PM promises 'permanent break from talking about Brexit' in Downing Street speech
• ...while adding the 'overwhelming priority of the British people' is a 'focus... on the NHS'.

[12 December 2019 22:06 · Andrew Griffin]

Pound surges on exit poll

The pound has gained 1.5 per cent in the wake of the exit poll. Here's that chart from Bloomberg.

[12 December 2019 22:07 · Andrew Griffin]

Exit poll has been wrong before

The projected results from the exit poll are dramatic. But it has been wrong in the past, as the below makes clear.

We should start to get a sense of how accurate it is looking over the next few hours, as the first results come in, and we are able to compare the projection with the final results.

[12 December 2019 22:10 · Andrew Griffin]

Labour says it is 'too early to call the result'

Jeremy Corbyn's party says it is "only the beginning of the night, and it's too early to call the result".

"We, of course, knew this was going to be a challenging election, with Brexit at the forefront of many people's minds and our country increasingly polarised.

"But Labour has hanged the debate in British politics. We have put public ownership, a green industrial revolution, an end to austerity centre stage and introduced new ideas, such as plans for free broadband and free personal care. The Tories only offered more of the same."

[12 December 2019 22:12 · Andrew Griffin]

Tory chairman also cautions people to wait on exit poll

Appearing on Sky, James Cleverly has also cautioned that people should be "cautious" of the results from the exit poll.

"I've always thought that polls should betaken with a degree of caution. ... I've been cautious of poll results when they look good, I've been cautious of poll results when they look not so good.

"Maths is maths, and if, big if, the numbers play out as per the exit poll, that is numerically a big majority. As I say, we'll want to see which particularly consistencies have voted in what way.

"In longstanding Labour held consistencies there were ... a lot of people said they were lied to when the labour candidates looked them in the eye and said 'I will deliver Brexit'. There was a feeling that the Labour party had stopped talking about and talking to those communities and were focusing very very much on its big urban consistencies."

[12 December 2019 22:17 · Andrew Griffin]

McDonnell says result would be 'disappointing'

Appearing on the BBC, shadow chancellor John McDonnell accepts result would be a "catastrophe"' if the exit polls are right. 

"If it is anywhere near this it is extremely disappointing," he says.

Pressed by Andrew Neil on whether the results will mean that it is "game over" for McDonnell and Corbyn, he says that they will wait until the morning to see the results.

But he does caution that is only if the exit poll is correct.

[12 December 2019 22:20 · Andrew Griffin]

Party leaders react to exit poll

[12 December 2019 22:22 · Andrew Griffin]

Momentum tells supporters to be 'proud'

Campaigning group Momentum has written to activists, noting the results of the exit poll.

"The exit poll is out and it's not what we hoped for," the email reads.

"These next few hours waiting for the results to trickle in are going to be nail biting, but you should be proud of everything we've achieved."

[12 December 2019 22:24 · Andrew Griffin]

Priti Patel says Tories will 'get Brexit done' before Christmas

Home Secretary Priti Patel said the Government will move quickly to "get Brexit done" if it wins a majority.

She said: "Importantly, as we have outlined throughout this entire campaign, the focus has been on Brexit.

"You know, we've had gridlock in Parliament, we want to get Brexit done, we have heard the prime minister say this.

"Get it done before Christmas, introduce the legislation and get that moving in parliament."

Ms Patel said the NHS, education, law and order, and a points-based immigration system were other priorities.

She added: "Absolutely moving the country out of that paralysis so we can invest in public services and get the country moving."

[12 December 2019 22:25 · Andrew Griffin]

Labour international trade secretary says results would be 'devastating'

Reacting to the exit poll, shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner told Sky News: "If that is the case then obviously it's a devastating result for us - and not just for us ... It's about all the people who were really needing a Labour victory to improve their lives.

"It certainly doesn't look good. In one sense we always knew this election was going to be focused on Brexit and that was the strategy that the Conservatives played."

He added: "It's a deeply depressing prediction.

"My heart goes out to all the people who had given their hope to the Labour Party. That's what pains me the most about a prediction like this."

Asked if Labour needed a new leader, Mr Gardiner said: "These are things that will be discussed by the leadership of the party in the next few days."

[12 December 2019 22:26 · Andrew Griffin]

Frantic counting kicks off in Sunderland

Here's the frenzy in Sunderland, one of the constituencies that rushes to be the first to declare.