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

EXIT POLL RESULT A 'MASSACRE' FOR TORIES

Ruth Davidson called the projected election result a "massacre" for the Conservative Party after exit polls were released.

But she said the word coming out of Conservative central office earlier was that the Tories could be below three figures in terms of seats.

The former leader of the Scottish Tories said on Sky News: "So actually 131 - while, there is no dressing it up, this is a massacre - they've actually, if this is right, pulled a few back from where they thought they were."

Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw says the exit poll is a "terrible result" for the Conservative party.

RECAP OF THE EXIT POLL RESULTS

STURGEON SHARES FIRST ELECTION THROWBACK

Nicola Sturgeon shared a photo from when she was standing at her first ever election at just 21.

The former First Minister posted the photo on Instagram.

The leaflet showed a fresh-faced Sturgeon as a final year law student at Glasgow University.

She told her 124,000 followers that it was a "strange experience" as this is the first general election since 2001 that she's not been leader or deputy leader of the SNP.

WHEN WILL WE KNOW WHO WON?

The polls close in just half an hour, shortly after results will start trickling in.

The final results for all 650 seats will arrive by the early hours of Friday morning.

Here are some key times you should know for the evening ahead:

• 10pm: Polls will close and counting begins.
• 10pm: Broadcasters will publish their exit polls, giving us an idea of the election result.
• 11.30pm-12am: First seats will be declared.
• 1am-1.30am: First Scottish seat will be declared.
• 4am-5am: The last seats will be declared and we should know who will form the next government.

VOTING - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

There's still time to vote.

For some young members of the public, it will be there first time visiting a polling station, while for others it may have been a long time since their last visit.

To help make things a little easier today, we've listed everything you need to know before attending.

It includes polling times and what you need to take with you.

For example, did you know that changes to voting mean you need to take ID with you to the polling station?

You can check out the full list here.

AN HOUR UNTIL POLLING STATIONS CLOSE

Voters only have an hour left to cast their votes and let their voices be heard.

Polling stations across the UK will shut at 10pm.

Get down to your local station and remember photo ID!

WHAT TIME WILL YOUR CONSTITUENCY DECLARE THE WINNER?

Voters across the UK have been flocking to the polls today for the General Election.

They will choose MPs in 650 constituencies and contribute to a national result which will decide who is our next Prime Minister.

The results from all those different constituencies will drip through over a period of more than 12 hours.

You can check your specific area on our interactive table HERE.

HOW HAVE RECENT ELECTIONS PLAYED OUT?

As many of you will know, the Conservative Party has been in government for 14 years now, but each election since 2010 has had its twists and turns.

Here’s how each played out:

• 2010 – Cameron falls short – David Cameron forms a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats after falling short of a majority.
• 2015 – Cameron wins majority – Cameron turns on his Lib Dem partner Nick Clegg, winning a majority and cementing Tory power.
• 2017 – May’s error – PM Theresa May was riding high in the polls in the spring of 2017 but a string of disastrous policy announcements saw Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn close the gap and the Tories lose their majority.
• 2019 – Boris sweeps it – Despite positive signs in 2017, the 2019 election would prove to be cataclysmic for Corbyn’s Labour, Boris Johnson would sweep the nation, winning a massive majority for the Tories.

CALM BEFORE THE STORM

The Chris Hoy velodrome is ready to go ahead of the election count tonight.

Tables and chairs are set up for votes in Glasgow to be counted.

FORMER FIRST MINISTER BATTLES ELEMENTS TO RALLY VOTES

Humza Yousaf battled the elements as he tried to rally votes for the SNP at today's General Election.

The former First Minister was hitting doors today in all weather.

Scotland has been hit with four seasons in one day with rain, hail, sun and wind battering voters heading to polling stations.

In a video posted on X, Mr Yousaf was caught in heavy wind and rain.

He said: "Summer election, they said the weather would be great.

"Listen, whatever the weather hail, rain, sun, wind, I think we've had all of it, please make sure you go out to vote and remember to take your voter ID for this election.

"Get out to vote. Your vote matters. Vote for the party that will stand up for Scotland. Vote for the SNP."

TOP TIPS FOR AN ELECTION ALL-NIGHTER

Politics enthusiasts all across the country are gearing up for a long night of twists, turns and results tonight.

But pulling an all-nighter can be tough, no matter how exciting a General Election is.

So here are some tips on how to pull off an election all-nighter:

• Begin the evening well-rested - try and get some sleep during the day.
• Embrace naps! There is nothing wrong with taking one or two short naps throughout the night.
• Caffeine!!!
• Keep all your lights on.
• Stay hydrated.

THE SCOTTISH SUN PREDICTS

Nine years after the SNP landslide that reduced Labour to just one MP in Scotland, the party of Sir Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar are tipped for a huge revival in fortunes.

But the polls suggest it will be tight.

The Scottish Sun political team has made its predictions for the results in all 57 Scottish seats.

You can check your specific area on our interactive map here.

WHAT OUR HARD-WORKING READERS WANT

We spoke to members of the public with real-life expertise.

They cut through the political spin and tell it as it is after weeks of campaigns.

Ahead of the election results, here's what they made of the party pledges.

Former nurser Karyn Hamilton, 49, feels the UK government have let down the electorate in the Covid-19 aftermath and the cost of-living-crisis.

The mum-of six from Broxburn said: “I feel the SNP have our country and the NHS’s best interests at the forefront of their manifesto. The fact they want to boost NHS funding and combat cost of living issues are really important to me.

“I do feel that it will take a lot of work to reduce waiting times, and it won’t happen overnight.

“The current UK government have done very little to even remotely reduce staff shortages or to improve working conditions. The way they handled the pandemic has caused a lot of the upheaval that we’re facing in the healthcare sector. They always seem to promise things that they can’t fulfil.”

OAP, 98, TURNED AWAY FROM POLLING STATION

A 98-year-old woman was turned away from her local polling station today after her postal ballot didn't arrive in time.

Flora Kelsey, from Edinburgh, was rendered unable to vote after having participated in every UK election since turning 21.

The devastated OAP now fears she has been denied what could be her last-ever chance to vote, Edinburgh Live reports.

Flora added: “I feel I ought to vote for my country.

“I just feel my hands are tied, I don’t know what to do now”.

People across the country have reported not being sent a voting pack despite requesting one.

This prompted councils to set up facilities where anyone affected by the issue could cast a ballot.

VOTING - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

There's still time to make your way to the polling stations!

For some young members of the public, it will be there first time visiting a polling station, while for others it may have been a long time since their last visit.

To help make things a little easier today, we've listed everything you need to know before attending.

It includes polling times and what you need to take with you.

For example, did you know that changes to voting mean you need to take ID with you to the polling station?

You can check out the full list here.

WHEN WILL WE KNOW WHO WON?

The polls close at 10pm tonight, shortly after results will start trickling in.

The final results for all 650 seats will arrive by the early hours of Friday morning.

Here are some key times you should know for the evening ahead:

• 10pm: Polls will close and counting begins.
• 10pm: Broadcasters will publish their exit polls, giving us an idea of the election result.
• 11.30pm-12am: First seats will be declared.
• 1.30am: First Scottish seat will be declared.
• 4am-5am: The last seats will be declared and we should know who will form the next government.

LABOUR LATEST

Looks like Labour are getting nervy about getting out their supporters in Glasgow, where they had been tipped to potentially grab all six seats from the SNP.

Word reaches us that an email has just gone out to Labour members saying: "We urgently need you to come out to volunteer this evening to get all our voters to the polls.

"Just go to your local campaign centre and we'll show you what to do."

WHAT IS AN EXIT POLL?

An exit poll is a survey of people leaving a polling station, asking how they have voted.

Tonight, at around 10pm, the exit poll will be released, giving us an indication of how the election has played out.

Unlike other surveys, which ask people how they intend to vote, exit polls are not affected by people who change their minds on the day itself.

Thousands of people are surveyed outside polling stations, and the data they provide is then blown up to predict the number of seats each political party will win.

DON'T FORGET YOUR PHOTO ID

It’s crucial you don’t forget to bring a form of photo ID when heading to vote.

Even if it is out of date, make sure you still bring it or you will be turned away.

Polling stations opened at 7am, as the country decides after a long and hard-fought election campaign.

BALLOT BLUNDER AT GLASGOW POLLING STATION

A Glasgow polling station left voters stumped after it displayed incorrect instructions on its ballots today.

Members of the public heading to cast their vote at Notre Dame Primary School in Glasgow's west end were met with posters asking them to use the wrong voting method.

The flyers told voters to rank each of the candidates in order of preference.

This voting method, otherwise known as the Single Transferable Vote, is a form of proportional representation which is usually only used in Scottish local elections.

With General Elections, the first-past-the-post system is used where voters put an 'X' in the box of their preferred candidate.

Speaking to STV, an agitated voter said that the posters had been displayed in some booths while others had no instructions at all.

Read more HERE.