A Labour LANDSLIDE: Starmer hails victory

• Labour wins the UK general election in a landslide - Keir Starmer will be the new prime minister
• After 14 years, the Conservatives lose power in a catastrophic defeat - they are set for the worst results in their history
• "Change begins now," Starmer says; Rishi Sunak says Britain has delivered a "sobering verdict"
• The Lib Dems make huge gains, while the SNP lose dozens of seats
• High-profile Conservative casualties include former Prime Minister Liz Truss, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Penny Mordaunt
• Reform UK leader Nigel Farage becomes an MP as the party nets four MPs; the Greens are also on four in their best election performance yet

Nigel Farage has been elected as an MP for the first time, as his Reform UK party won four seats.

The Reform leader overturned a 25,000 Conservative majority to take Clacton in Essex by more than 8,000 votes.

In a speech after the result was announced, Mr Farage said it was "the first step of something that is going to stun all of you".

Shortly after Reform also gained Great Yarmouth and Boston and Skegness from the Tories.

Earlier, former Conservative MP Lee Anderson, who defected to Reform in March, retained Ashfield in Nottinghamshire.

The BBC is not predicting that Reform, which was formed in 2018 as the Brexit Party, will win any more seats.

An earlier exit poll for broadcasters had forecast the party would win 13 MPs - more than many polls during the campaign had predicted.

However, the figure was highly uncertain, as the model suggested there were many places where the party only has a relatively low chance of winning.

Former prime minister Liz Truss has lost her seat in Labour’s landslide election victory, as the Conservatives slump to a historic defeat.

She lost her South West Norfolk constituency to Labour by 630 votes, having previously held a huge 24,180 majority.

The ex-premier was among a clutch of senior Tories ejected from Parliament, in a result set to reshape the direction of the party.

These include Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, who was tipped as a future Tory leadership contender, and former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.

But Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who had been seen as vulnerable in his Godalming and Ash constituency, managed to hold on with slender 891 majority.

Speaking after her defeat, Ms Truss said her party had not "delivered sufficiently" in areas such as "keeping taxes low” and reducing immigration.

Asked if she would stay on in Conservative politics, Ms Truss said “I’ve got a lot to think about” and asked people to “give me a bit of time".

Rishi Sunak has said he accepts responsibility for the Conservative Party's catastrophic general election defeat.

Sir Keir Starmer has led the Labour Party to a landslide victory and will take over from Mr Sunak as the UK's prime minister.

Mr Sunak told supporters: "The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn... and I take responsibility for the loss."

Speaking in central London, Sir Keir said "change begins now", adding "it feels good, I have to be honest".

With nearly all results declared, Labour is projected to form the next government, with a majority of 170.

The Tories are set for the worst result in their history. They have lost more than 248 seats and are currently on 119 seats.