Key moments from a dramatic election night

On a night that has seen dramatic results in constituencies across the country, a few have stood out.

From some big names returning to others losing out, here are some key moments from the counts so far.

On his eighth attempt to enter Parliament, Reform leader Nigel Farage took the seat of Clacton, defeating the Conservative incumbent and gaining a majority of 8,405.

The constituency, on the east coast of England, voted strongly in favour of Brexit and twice returned Douglas Carswell after he defected from the Conservatives to UKIP in 2014.

Speaking from the count, Mr Farage, who only became party leader and announced his candidacy last month, said what the campaign had achieved in such a short space of time was “truly extraordinary”.

“It’s not just disappointment with the Conservative Party. There is a massive gap on the centre right of British politics and my job is to fill it,” he said.

Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt saw her majority of more than 15,000 overturned by Labour in the seat of Portsmouth North.

Ms Mordaunt made it into the final three in the race to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader in 2022 and caught the attention of millions as she carried a sword around Westminster Abbey in her ceremonial role during the coronation of King Charles III.

She represented her party at a number of the televised debates ahead of the election, and was widely considered one of the contenders to succeed Rishi Sunak in the event that he stands down.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn defended Islington North, where he stood as an independent after being suspended from his old party.

Mr Corbyn had represented the seat as a Labour MP since 1983, but was told he could not stand again following a row over antisemitism.

He said the result was a “resounding message from the people of Islington North that they want something different, they want something better and, in the new government that’s coming in, they’re looking for an end to things like the two-child benefit policy cap.”

“And if I may say so, they’re also looking for a government that on the world stage will search for peace, not war and not allow the terrible conditions to go on that are happening in Gaza,” he said.

“Sorry” was the word of the night for senior figures from factions across the Conservative Party.

Speaking after being re-elected in his Richmond constituency, Rishi Sunak said he took responsibility for the results and apologised “to the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates” who had lost their seats.

“The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight. There is much to learn and reflect on,” he said.

At her own count in Fareham, former home secretary Suella Braverman, who published an article excoriating the government’s performance just days before polls opened, addressed her apology to the country.

“There is only one thing that I can say: sorry,” she said.

“I’m sorry that my party didn’t listen to you. You, the Great British people, voted for us over 14 years, and we did not keep our promises.

“We need to learn our lesson. If we don’t, bad as tonight has been for my party, we’ll have many worse nights to come.”

Jonathan Ashworth, a senior Labour figure, lost the Leicester South constituency to independent candidate Shockat Adam.

The seat has a significant Muslim population and a large part of Mr Adam’s campaign focused on opposing Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.

Labour has drawn anger from many who feel it has not spoken out strongly enough about the conflict or the humanitarian situation for Gaza’s two million residents.