General Election 2024 LIVE: Sir Keir Starmer officially becomes Prime Minister as he meets King after Labour landslide

LAST SEAT DECLARED

THE Liberal Democrats have won the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency.

It was the last seat in the UK to announce its general election result.

Candidate Angus MacDonald achieved a majority of 2,160 over the SNP's Drew Hendry.

Last night the SNP candidate had conceded defeat after a recount delayed the result.

It means the Liberal Democrats have won 72 Westminster seats.

They now have six seats in Scotland - overtaking the Scottish Conservatives.

SARWAR REACTS TO HUGE WIN

DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY COUNCIL EXPLAIN WHY COUNTS TOOK SO LONG

Dumfries and Galloway Council has explained why the counts in two of their constituencies took "longer than envisaged".

Results for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale and Dumfries and Galloway were some of the last in the UK to be announced.

A statement from the council said that "accuracy - not speed" was of greater importance.

Tory MP, David Mundell, who retained his seat in Dumfries and Galloway added: "There aren't really special circumstances here that would justify that in my view.

"We don't have islands, we don't have ballot boxes coming by boat, we had less people voting than had voted in previous general elections."

POLICE PROBE LAUNCHED INTO VOTER FRAUD

Police have launched an investigation into suspected voter fraud in Glasgow.

Officers descended on the count last night and asked that three ballot papers be removed over concerns of impersonation.

READ MORE HERE

KEIR STARMER MAKES FIRST SPEECH AS PM

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has delivered his first speech to the country.

Outside of No 10 Downing Street, he said: "Now our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service," he says. 

"We need to move forward together."

Promising to "rebuild Britain", the Labour party leader said "brick by brick we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity."

He added: "Four nations standing together again, facing down as we have so often in our past the challenges of an insecure world, committed to a calm and patient rebuilding.

"So, with respect and humility I invite you all to join this government of service.

"Our work is urgent and we begin it today."

Full list of SNP MPs booted out by voters

With Labour winning by a large margin in Scotland, the Nats have been dealt quite a significant blow.

Of Scotland's 57 constituencies, 38 SNP seats were lost in the election.

A full list of the SNP MPs booted out can be found here.

STARMER BECOMES PRIME MINISTER

Labour party leader Sir Keir Starmer has officially been appointed as the new prime minister.

SWINNEY MET WITH THE KING BEFORE SNP BLOW

SNP leader John Swinney met with King Charles in a private audience on Wednesday night before the SNP suffered cataclysmic losses.

The king wore a tartan kilt as he greeted the now outgoing FM on the eve of the general election.

With Labour gaining the majority of Scotland's votes, the SNP lost more than 50 seats.

The pictures, where Swinney can be seen bowing to the monarch, were not released until the results were announced this morning.

The two met at Holyrood house in Edinburgh ahead of the election.

Conservative leader Rishi Sunak will meet with the King later today to formally resign after his party were also dealt a blow in this morning's results.

ANALYSIS: SNP'S SCANDAL HAS TAKEN ITS TOLL

SNP's scandal and sleaze takes its toll but voters wanted to kick the Tories too.

WOW. What a night for Scottish Labour, and what a collapse for the SNP.

This was an election dominated by voters wanting to give Rishi Sunak and the Tories a kicking.

But Scottish voters also wanted to punish an SNP which has failed to deliver for Scots and found itself covered in scandal and sleaze.

Late last night sources of all the major parties were reacting with shock to the exit poll - given the SNP's massive losses. But them winning just 10 appears to have been a slight over-estimate.

Senior SNP figures blamed a lack of a clear message from the party for the last year since Nicola Sturgeon's resignation.

But they also said traditional Labour voters who had previously lent their vote to the SNP to keep the Tories out - sparking the landslides of 2015 and 2019 - had finally turned back to their spiritual home.

Their overriding motivation? Booting out the Tories from Number 10.
Despite this - the scale of the swing away from the Nats is huge.

Experts said it was around the same level as the swing to the SNP in 2015.

Reform UK also caused chaos - causing Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross to lose his fight for a seat but also taking votes from the Tories and Labour across the country.

But while it was a brutal night for the Nats - it was a jubilant one for Scottish Labour.

The results last night exceeded even the most optimistic predictions for Anas Sarwar's party. A total of 37 seats suggests they won every single target seat.

Winning back Glasgow - and almost all of Edinburgh - is a hugely symbolic step back to the top of Scottish politics.

All eyes will now be on Holyrood's 2026 election - with Mr Sarwar already pivoting into a long campaign mode.

And with a new cohort of Scottish Labour MPs behind him, there's no doubt he will be confident of unseating the SNP from power in two years.

RISHI SUNAK QUITS

Rishi Sunak has announced he is stepping as prime minister and leader of the Conservative party.

Outside of ten Downing Street, he said: "I will step down as party leader, not immediately, but once the formal arrangements for selecting my successor are in place.

"It is important that after 14 years in government, the Conservative party rebuilds, but also that it takes up its crucial role in opposition professionally and effectively."

DOUGLAS ROSS TO STAY AT HOLYROOD

DOUGLAS Ross will stay at Holyrood despite losing his seat to the SNP.

The outgoing Scottish Tory leader who was forced to commit to resigning after a backlash to his decision to stand to be an MP in the place of the ill David Duguid.

And he had said he would step away from the Scottish Parliament if he won the Aberdeenshire North and Moray East seat in Westminster.

But there was speculation he would also step away from Holyrood even if he lost the race to become an MP - but it is understood he plans to stay on as an MSP.

CONSERVATIVES WIN DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY

Tory MP John Cooper has held onto his Dumfries and Galloway seat with 29.6% of the vote share.

The Conservatives now hold five seats in Scotland, down from seven in the last election.

JOHN SWINNEY SAYS 'INDEPENDENCE IS ON THE BACKBURNER'

Independence is on the backburner for the SNP after their electoral humiliation, John Swinney said this morning.

Despite insisting the SNP/Green pro-indy majority was a mandate for a referendum, he admitted the party must "reflect" on how to deliver independence

He said: "I have to accept that we failed to convince people of the urgency of independence in this campaign.

"We need to take the time to consider and reflect on how we deliver our commitment to independence."

BREAKING: FINAL SCOTTISH RESULT WON'T BE CONFIRMED UNTIL SATURDAY

The results for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire will not be announced until tomorrow (Saturday 6 July).

The recount is being held due to a discrepancy between the verified votes and the counted ones which means the returning officer cannot declare a result today.

TWO SCOTTISH SEATS LEFT TO DECLARE

We're still waiting for the results of two Scottish seats to be declared.

Dumfries and Galloway have yet to announce.

And Inverness, Skye and Ross-shire are in the process of a recount.

As it stands, Labour have won the majority with 37 seats, the SNP are on nine, the Lib Dems on five and the Conservatives on four.

CONSERVATIVES WIN IN DUMFRIESSHIRE, CLYDESDALE AND TWEEDALE

Tory MP David Mundell has held onto his seat in Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweedale with 14,999 votes.

With just three other wins in the country, the Conservatives are down three Scottish seats since the last election.

A 'LOVELY DAY' FOR THE LIB DEMS

Scottish Liberal Democrats Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton says his party are having a "lovely day".

Winning five Scottish seats, the Lib Dems have secured what Cole-Hamilton called the "best result in our party's history."

On BBC's Good Morning Scotland, he said: "Let's remember this is the best Liberal Democrat result in our party's history.

"It speaks to the very positive upbeat campaign that Ed Davey led from the front with the colourful antics and stunts but with a deep message."

SCOTTISH SEATS STILL TO BE DECLARED

Scotland are still waiting on the results of three seats to be announced.

The remaining undeclared constituencies are:

Inverness, Skye and Ross-shire (recount in progress)

Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfriesshire Clydesdale and Tweeddale

Updates to follow.

FULL LIST OF MPS REVEALED

Gaining more than 30 seats across Scotland, Labour's landslide victory has prompted some "soul-searching" for other parties.

The SNP's loss of more than 50 seats has been a sobering result.

With just a small number of seats left to declare, we'll bring you the full list as we get it.

READ MORE HERE

SNP HOLD ANGUS AND PERTHSHIRE GLENS

The Nats have held onto Angus and Perthshire Glens.

Dave Doogan holds it comfortably for the SNP, a 10.3% majority.

LIZ TRUSS IS OUT AS EX-PM LOSES TO LABOUR

By Julia Atherley

Liz Truss said she "agrees" she is part of the problem which led to election abyss for the Tory party.

Speaking after she lost her seat in South West Norfolk, she said: "I think the issue we've faced as Conservatives is we haven't delivered sufficiently on the policies people want and that means keeping taxes low but also particularly on reducing on immigration and I think that's been a crucial issue here in South West Norfolk, that was the number one issue that people raised on the doorstep with me."

Asked if she accepts that she was part of the people who caused the problem, she said: "I agree I was part of that, that's absolutely true.

"But during our 14 years in power unfortunately we did not do enough to take on the legacy we had been left, in particular the Human Rights Act which made it very difficult for us to deport illegal immigration." 

On whether she will stay in Conservative politics, she said: "I've got a lot to think about, it's been a very very hectic few weeks. I haven't slept last night, so give me a bit of time but I will definitely talk to you again when I've got the opportunity."

ANALYSIS: 'THE PEOPLE'S REVOLT' COST THE TORIES SEATS

By Martina Bet, Political Correspondent

NIGEL Farage's main goal during the election campaign was to inflict maximum damage to the Tories.

Early results show he has been successful, with Reform eating into the Conservative vote across the country.

While support for the party is too evenly spread to win many seats, it is undeniable "the people's revolt" has split the rightwing vote and cost the Tories many seats.

Former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is one of the many who could have retained his seat had Farage's party not stood.

But now that mission is accomplished, what comes next?
The Brexit champion let it slip during his victory speech: becoming the thorn in Labour's side.

He issued a stark warning to Sir Keir Starmer, insisting there is no "enthusiasm" for him and that his Government will be "in trouble" very quickly.

Farage also made it clear he wants to use Reform's results as a springboard for the next election.

He wants to build what he calls a "mass national movement" in order to become a "big enough challenge" for Labour in 2029. Lots of Brexit-voting constituencies are set to return to Sir Keir's party today.

With a track record of smashing up the status quo in British politics and his new powerful platform in Parliament, Sir Keir should not -in any way- underestimate the Reform surge.