Election 2017 live updates: Theresa May claims Conservative government supported by DUP will provide 'certainty'
The Independent will be bringing you all the live updates as the UK's next government is formed
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May has said she will form a Conservative government backed by the DUP, claiming it can bring "certainty" to the UK.
After visiting the Queen, the Prime Minister claimed there was a "strong relationship" between the two parties, amid concern over the DUP's controversial anti-abortion and anti-LGBT policies.
The PM has also apologised to Conservatives who lost last night. She said: "I'm sorry for all those colleagues who lost their seats." She will "reflect on what we need to do in the future to take the party forward" after the result, she added.
The UK voted for a hung parliament after shock losses for the Conservatives in the 2017 general election. With 649 of 650 seats declared, the Tories had 318 seats - eight short of the figure needed to win outright - with Labour on 261, the SNP on 35 and Liberal Democrats on 12.
Jeremy Corbyn's party increase its share of the vote by 9.6 per cent, while the Tories were up 5.5 per cent, the Liberal Democrats, Greens and SNP saw small loses and Ukip's vote collapsed.
The live blog has now ended
Politicians, voters, and even their pets have been heading to polling stations and are posing for the cameras at every opportunity.
The Prime Minister has made clear that she would rely on the support of the Democratic Unionist Party in order to get her programme through Parliament, despite concern over its stance on issues including equal marriage, abortion and climate change.
Making no allusion to losses suffered by the Conservatives, Ms May said she intended to press ahead with her plans for Brexit.
She faced calls from within her own party to consider her own position after the election, which she brought forward by three years in the hope it would deliver an increased majority in the Commons.
Jeremy Corbyn urged her to resign and allow him to form a minority administration, declaring: “We are ready to serve this country.”
But, after intensive talks with the DUP, the Prime Minister instead drove the short distance to Buckingham Palace to ask the Queen for permission to form a new government.
The final election results came in late on Friday, after Kensington finally declared a Labour win — with a tiny 20-vote majority. They were:
Paul Nuttall has resigned as Ukip leader after the party's vote collapsed.
He said the party is a "victim of its own success", having "forced" the EU referendum and achieved its foundational aim of withdrawing Britain from the EU.
He said Ukip's job is "not done" as negotiations continue.
"There is no getting away from the fact that this was a unique election that came about an inopportune time for our party," Mr Nuttall added.
"This election has put our Brexit at risk."
He wished the new Prime Minister the "very best" in negotiations to get the "best deal for the British people".
Mr Nuttall announced the launch of a "new and re-branded Ukip" at its conference in Torquay, but did not give detail.
His speech, ranging through topics including integration and Islamist extremism, appeared to suggest the party will be attempting to move outside its image of a single-issue party that lost its reasoin for existence with the vote for Brexit.
Reaction from Nigel Farage, who stood down as Ukip leader two weeks after Brexit last year, having come back from a previous resignation after the 2015 election. He claimed his resignation was "rejected" by the party. Will he be making another comeback?
Theresa May is reportedly going 'full steam ahead' to form a new government, with new cabinet appointments expected within the day.
Reporters looking for reaction from the German government - which was less than happy about Brexit - are disappointed.
A spokesperson for Angela Merkel said she would not comment on the outcome of the election "out of respect and politeness".
The German Chancellor had an uncomfortable trip to the White House earlier this year, when Donald Trump appeared to refuse to shake her hand at a joint appearance in the Oval Office. The President was friendlier with Theresa May, holding her hand in photos that spread around the world.
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