LIVE BLOG Great Britain decides – general election 2024

Quotes from the night so far

The general election results and reactions are happening throughout the night – here are some of the best quotes so far:

“There is no way to describe this as anything other than a bad night for the Conservative Party” – Former Conservative minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg takes stock.

“As for the Tories, you know, it will sound strange, there will be a sigh of relief, even though it is the worst result since 1832, when the Duke of Wellington led the Tory party. So this feels more like the Waterloo of the Tory party, frankly” – Former Tory chancellor George Osborne looks for parallels in history.

“Tonight the British people have spoken and if tonight’s exit poll is once again a guide to the results in our country as it so often is, then after 14 years the British people have chosen change” – Labour’s Bridget Phillipson after being declared the first winner of the night.

“It is the greatest return since Lazarus” – Former Labor leader Lord Neil Kinnock.

“Anyone watching the rise of reform will see that what we are doing is breaking political history. I’ve said this before, everyone said that in that Brexit result, ‘you’re not going to do it’, we changed history, we’re about to change history once again” – David Bull, deputy leader of the reform.

“The Conservative Party is the natural party of government and has been in this country for many long years, so we’re going to be very ruthless about it, we’re certainly going to be very criminal about it” – Former Conservative minister Dame Andrea Leadsom.