Shock exit poll leaves May's future in doubt

Forecasts published as polls closed tonight suggested the election was too close to call.

The results of the national exit poll, which has proved highly accurate in recent elections, pointed to the Conservatives remaining as the largest party but short of the 326 seat victory line.

The Conservatives were on track to win 314 seats seats, a loss of 17 compared to the result just two years ago.

Mrs May called the election asking voters to give her a personal and clear mandate to lead Britain through the Brexit talks which are due to begin within days.

But the prospect of emerging from the election with a smaller Conservative majority or even a hung parliament left the Prime Minister contemplating leaving Downing Street after less than a year in the role.

The initial findings of the exit poll shocked Conservative figures whi had spoken privately in recent days of gains of up to 25 seats across the North of England.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said it was “very early” and insisted it remained the “right” decision to ask the British people to give the party a clear mandate for Brexit talks.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said the exit poll suggested Mrs May’s attempt to build a large Conservative majority had “simply exploded”.

Asked about the approach the Conservatives’ opponents would take in the event of a coalition, Sir Menzies said the Lib Dems had “had our fingers burned by coalitions”.

Green Party leader Caroline Lucas said she “hardly dare belive” the forecast.

The exit poll put Labour on track to gain 34 seats on its 2015 result, giving it 266 seats.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said the poll suggested “positive politics has succeeded” and the calling of an election had been a “catastrophic error” by the Prime Minister.

The exit poll contrasted starkly with the gloomy predictions being made privately by Labour activists in Yorkshire for much of the election campaign.

The narrowing of the Conservatives’ lead in the opinion polls had helped lift Labour spirits in recent days and the social care issue did appear to have given voters some pause for thought.

However Labour sources also believed they were facing an uphill task.

Prior to the publication of the exit poll, Lib Dem sources had spoken of concerns that leader Tim Farron could lose his seat while the Yorkshire seats of former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg and Greg Mulholland, Leeds North West MP since 2005, were also considered to be at risk.

But the early projections suggested the Lib Dems were on course for 14 seats, an uplift of six on their disastrous performance in 2015.

That figure was short of Mr Farron’s aim of doubling the Lib Dem presence in the Commons but would likely be enough to keep him in his role.

The exit poll also pointed to a significant decline in fortunes for the Scottish National Party.

The SNP almost swept the board North of the border in 2015 but the party appeared to be heading for a loss of 22 seats, taking their total to 34.

The final opinion poll of the election, published yesterday by Ipsos Mori, put the Conservatives on a 44 per cent share of the vote, eight points ahead of Labour.

That research gave the Conservatives a likely majority of around 40 seats.

Lord Ashcroft published research suggesting that the Conservatives were heading for a majority of between 52 and 96, depending on the level of voter turnout.