Election round up – the results

We've woken up to the news this morning that, following a public vote in a general election, the Conservative party will be forming a government after winning the biggest majority vote in over 30 years.

The messages were hammered home, the great debates were had and as the General Election drew nearer, questions rolled in. What will the next Prime Minister do to secure the future of this country? How will they protect the NHS and negotiate a good Brexit deal?

As Britain went to the polls on Thursday 12 December, it was a two-horse race between the Conservatives and Labour, with one saying "let's get Brexit done" while the other said it could consider a second referendum. The Tories were broadly ahead for most of the time, with Labour struggling to close the gap. However, in the final furlong, it looked as though the two parties were neck and neck.

Once the polls closed at 10pm, exit polls suggested the Conservative party would have the majority.

Whilst it may have appeared uncertain, and fears for a hung parliament were aired several times pre-election, the Conservatives have actually won the biggest majority since the 1987 general election. It was a disappointing result for the Liberal Democrats, who were hoping to win over voters who were facing uncertainty between the front runners. Despite huge campaigning, they only gained 11 seats. They only lost one seat, but it was the most important of all, as it was that of Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader – and she has announced she will be stepping down.

The overall result was as follows:

Conservative – 364 seats

Labour – 203

SNP – 48

Liberal Democrat – 11

DUP – 8

Other - 15

For the results in your area, visit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2019/results

In the meantime, if you have any questions or concerns relating to the recent election, or you’re worried about how Brexit might affect you or your business, contact Downs Solicitors to see how we can help.