Questions have been raised over Theresa May's future as Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader, after an exit poll suggested her massive gamble on a snap election has backfired. Together, the Labour Party, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats would have 314 seats in parliament - as many as Theresa May's Tories are now predicted to have.
Instead of forming an alliance with the coalition-sceptical Liberal Democrats, Labour could also join forces with the Scottish National Party to topple the Conservative Party.
The pro-London Democratic Unionist Party has ten seats in Northern Ireland, while nationalist Sinn Fein is at 7. The SDLP has lost all three of its seats and the UUP its two seats.
It is nevertheless possible that the Liberal Democrats could form a minority coalition with the Labour Party that would, for instance, aim at a softer exit from the European Union.
"At this time more than anything else this country needs a period of stability".
While the gap between the two parties has narrowed, virtually all polls suggest the Conservatives will retain control of Parliament.
Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who built his reputation as a left-wing activist, focused his campaign on ending the years of austerity that have followed the global financial crisis.
The shadow chancellor said the public probably felt she was being opportunistic when she called the General Election.
May's Conservatives scored one early victory, however, retaining its seat in the bellwether seat of Nuneaton in central England.
May had warned repeatedly during the campaign that if she lost only a few seats then Corbyn could take office, presiding over a "coalition of chaos" involving the SNP and Lib Dems. The Scottish National Party lost the seat to Labour. The SNP's Westminster leader, Angus Robertson, was beaten by the Conservatives in Moray.
"It is exactly the opposite of why she held the election and she then has to go and negotiate Brexit in that weakened position".
Lewis Hamilton happy to be back where it all began
Hamilton said: "We are working hard to rectify the issues we had in the last race and we will attack this race". We'll see what happens". "What happened in Monaco is nothing to do with my contract".
In a statement, Mike Williams, NME editor-in-chief, said: "A lot of talk during this election has been about whether young people would bother to get out and vote".
May, who took over after last year's Brexit referendum, began the formal two-year process of leaving the European Union on March 29. It was a tightly-knit group and she's her group that ran this campaign. "I'm not sure that we should read, from the results of this vote, that Britons' sovereign decision on Brexit has been cast into doubt in any way".
Despite the surprise election result, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said he doesn't believe voters have changed their minds about leaving.
A minister admitted there would be "fury" within the party among those who did not believe an election was necessary.
Based on interviews with voters leaving polling stations across the country, the poll is conducted for a consortium of United Kingdom broadcasters and regarded as a reliable, though not exact, indicator of the likely result.
A hung parliament could play in Labour's favour even if it won less seats than the Conservatives because it is politically closer to smaller rivals on several issues. There were also gains for Mr Corbyn's party in Battersea, Stockton South, Bury North and Vale of Clwyd.
The former Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, spoke out about the need for the government to be sensitive about huge societal divisions as he was defeated by Labour in Sheffield Hallam.
The party's leader, Tim Farron, hung on to his seat in Cumbria, while Vince Cable was re-elected in Twickenham.
Commentators agreed the results were bad for the prime minister.
The home secretary, Amber Rudd, faced a recount in a tight race in Hastings but just held on. "It's too early in the night to be drawing conclusions".
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