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UK Election Results Update 4:30GMT 7/5/2010
UK ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE
4:30 GMT 7
May 2010
The Conservative Party are leading in the UK
elections. However the final result remains unclear and the
polling saw controversy.
With more than half of the results in Britain's general election the Conservatives seem certain to be the largest party in the new Parliament, having so far gained 69 seats, most at the expense of Labour. The Liberal Democrat vote has not shown the surge that was expected and have lost seats.
However it is not clear the Conservatives will achieve enough seats to govern alone. Earlier, exit polling gave the Conservative Party the lead but not an outright majority.
In this position, the Conservatives reportedly favour forming a minority government. Likely kingmakers the Liberal Democrats have indicated an unwillingness to work with Labour leader Gordon Brown, and an intention to support the party with the most votes and seats. In a nation unfamiliar with non-majority government it may be some time before a Government is finally formed.
Scoop notes that as a result of the First Past the Post election system, the Liberal Democrats have currently won approximately four fifths of the votes Labour has, but received one fifth the number of seats.
The election was also marked by hundreds of voters – some of whom queued for hours – being turned away when polls closed, as polling booths failed to cope with an apparent late rush. Police were called to some voting stations as intending voters started sit-in or tried to prevent ballot boxes being removed.
Officials have since stated that according to the rules anyone without a ballot when polls close should be turned away. However, these rules appear to have not been consistently applied. Further, in Sheffeild student were reportedly required to form a different line from permanent residents.
These irregularities may lead to legal challenges in particular seats.
Full updated results at BBC NEWS | Election 2010 | Results | United Kingdom - National Results
| Party | Seats | Gain | Loss | Net | Votes | % | +/-% |
| Conservative | 240 | 70 | 1 | +69 | 7,993,228 | 36.7 | +4.0 |
| Labour | 181 | 2 | 65 | -63 | 6,069,075 | 27.8 | -6.5 |
| Liberal Democrat | 37 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 4,900,659 | 22.5 | +0.9 |
| Democratic Unionist Party | 8 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 168,216 | 0.8 | -0.4 |
| Scottish National Party | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 480,781 | 2.2 | +0.2 |
| Sinn Fein | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 150,638 | 0.7 | -0.1 |
| Plaid Cymru | 3 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 165,394 | 0.8 | -0.1 |
| Social Democratic & Labour Party | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 107,396 | 0.5 | -0.1 |
| Alliance Party | 1 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 42,325 | 0.2 | +0.1 |
| UK Independence Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 701,109 | 3.2 | +0.9 |
| British National Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 421,641 | 1.9 | +1.3 |
| Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 171,686 | 0.8 | -0.1 |
| Ulster Conservatives and Unionists - New Force | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 102,361 | 0.5 | -0.1 |
| English Democrats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48,946 | 0.2 | +0.2 |
| Traditional Unionist Voice | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26,300 | 0.1 | |
| Independent Community and Health Concern | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 16,150 | 0.1 | +0.0 |
| Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8,300 | 0.0 | |
| Christian Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8,282 | 0.0 | |
| Scottish Socialist Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,157 | 0.0 | -0.2 |
| Respect-Unity Coalition | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 174 | 0.0 | -0.1 |
| Others | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 218,038 | 1.0 | -0.2 |
| Turnout | 21,803,856 | 64.9 | 3.1 | ||||
| After 484 of 650 seats declared. | |||||||
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