UK General Election day

[Mel O'Drama]

Polling stations have opened for people to cast their vote in the UK general election.

Polls opened at 07:00 BST at more than 40,000 polling stations across the country, with counting starting once voting ends at 22:00 BST.

A total of 650 Westminster MPs will be elected, with about 46.9 million people registered to vote.

That is up from the last general election, in 2015, when there were 46.4 million registered voters.

Some votes have already been cast, through postal voting, which accounted for 16.4% of the total electorate at the 2015 general election.

Overall turnout in 2015, when the Conservatives won 331 out of 650 seats, was 66.4%, up from 2010.

Most polling stations are in schools, community centres and parish halls, but pubs, a launderette and a school bus have been used in the past.

A handful of seats are expected to be declared by midnight, with the final results expected on Friday afternoon.

Unusually, no local elections are taking place at the same time, so results might come through earlier than in recent general elections.

In 2015 the first seat to declare was Houghton and Sunderland South, at 22:48 BST.
To form a majority in the House of Commons one party must win 326 seats - in 2015 a Conservative majority was not confirmed until 13:34 BST.


The weather forecast is for some rain in south-west England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales on Thursday, with south-east England remaining cloudy and dry.

Polls close at 22:00 BST, but officials say anyone in a polling station queue at this time should be able to cast their vote.

The BBC's main election programme, fronted by David Dimbleby, starts at 21:55 BST, with live coverage from scores of counts.

Dimbleby, fronting his 10th election night broadcast, will be joined by Mishal Husain, Emily Maitlis, Jeremy Vine.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will have their own overnight programmes but will join Huw Edwards from 07:00 BST on 9 June.

On the radio, an overnight broadcast by BBC Radio 4 will be hosted by Jim Naughtie and Carolyn Quinn.

On BBC Radio 5 live, the overnight show will be hosted by Stephen Nolan and Emma Barnett.

Full coverage of the results as they come in will be on the BBC politics online live page and front page scorecard, with all the big breaking stories from around the country and analysis by correspondents.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2017-40191900

 

[Sarah]

What's the thoughts on this? Does anyone think Corbyn will get in?

 

[Angela Channing]

What's the thoughts on this? Does anyone think Corbyn will get in?

Yes, I do. Seeing the crowds of people that have flocked to listen to his speeches shows the support for him and the Labour manifesto is massive. It was reported that no party leader has attracted as many people to hear him speak since Winston Churchill.

Polls show that amongst younger voters aged 18-40, Labour's has a substantial lead over the Tories (42% to 27%) so provided that young people actually go out and vote, Labour will win. However, in previous elections turnout amongst younger voters has been low but I think the Corbyn factor will change this as his message and policies particularly resonates with that demographic.

I voted this morning at 7am, I was one of the first to cast my vote at my polling station. I was that eager to get rid of Theresa May, the wretched Tories and their wicked policies.

 

[Angela Channing]

Jeremy Corbyn speaks to crowds in Liverpool:

Jeremy Corbyn speaks to crowds in Gateshead:

Jeremy Corbyn speaks to crowds in Leeds:

Meanwhile Theresa May speaks to crowds in South Shields:

 

[Ome]

I fear the worse is happening....

Election poll latest: Theresa May will win biggest Tory landslide since Margaret Thatcher, final survey predicts

Theresa May looks on course for a definitive victory over Jeremy Corbyn in the general election, as the final poll for The Independent shows her party enjoying a 10-point lead over Labour.

If the figures in the ComRes poll are replicated on Thursday, projections indicate a concrete 74-seat majority – the largest the Conservatives have secured since the days of Margaret Thatcher.

But the survey also gives key insights as to where Mr Corbyn could have fallen short, despite Labour having halved the Conservative lead since the start of the election campaign.

The survey shows a majority of the public raising concerns over Mr Corbyn's ability to pay for his spending promises and his approach to security and Brexit, while many also believe there is now a need for a new centre-ground political party in the UK.

Ms May, Mr Corbyn and Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron all made last-ditch pleas for votes as they travelled the country in a frenetic final day of campaigning, but the ComRes poll suggests the Tories have sealed the deal.

It puts the Conservatives on 44 per cent of the vote, down three points, Labour on 34 per cent, down one, the Liberal Democrats on 9 per cent, Ukip on 5 per cent and the Greens on 2 per cent, all up one.

 

[Sarah]

I'm sorry if this is naïve, but I really don't see the point in these elections, if the same thing keeps happening again and again and again.

 

[Ome]

I'm sorry if this is naïve

I can't get my head around how they can predict the results, especially when it will be the first vote for 18-20 year olds.

 

[Sarah]

I just don't see the point and find it very disheartening. Like I know that when I vote against them tonight, the bloody DUP will still come up trumps (pardon the pun) in the morning.

 

[Ome]

find it very disheartening.

I'm just confused as to who is voting, whether it's for Trump or Brexit, it all feels tragic.

 

[Sarah]

I've been in two minds about whether or not to bother to be honest. But if my vote helps keep that Turnip faced cockhead out of office I'll do it.

 

[Barbara Fan]

Personally i dont think Corbyn has a hope in hell. He isnt the best man to lead the labour party and i see him as a wierdy beardy lefty, ira, hamas supporting non leader and that wont get my vote. Even friends who normally vote labour are giving him a miss and predict a big split in the labour party

Neither will mccnnell or diane abbott get my support. Ugh
The labour party was dead in scotland last time , all but wiped out and i cant see him retuning labour voters to the fold. - but i think it might get a seat or two. Anything to wipe the smug smile of sturgeon and co,

I also think its wrong that SNP got 5% of vote but got over 50 mps.

I dont like ukip but they got more than 10% and got 1, thats not fair and there should be prop rep at gen elections.

Sarah vote, Emmeline and co fought to get us it.
But i have spoilt my ballot paper in the past and i agree with chris evans who says there should be a box saying none of the above tossers. Cos that just about sums it up for me.

Happy vpting, on hols and not missing it at all.
But did do a postal vote

 

[Sarah]

I will definitely vote, I'm just not expecting anything to change, especially in this place. NI doesn't get a fair look in - that's evident by Brexit with 58% of us not wanting it.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I'm just confused as to who is voting, whether it's for Trump or Brexit, it all feels tragic.

Tragic's the perfect word for it. I lost a great deal of faith in the British public with Brexit and I'm not holding out too much hope that this General Election will do much to restore it. I think it's a case of plan for the worst and hope for the best.

It would be nice if we got a good turnout of young voters this time round. And it could make all the difference.

I will definitely vote

Oh yes, Sarah. Think of poor Emily Davison and vote away.

 

[Sarah]

I can promise you that if Arlene isn't elected and the DUP don't get the majority here tomorrow, I will flash all of you while dancing to the Dallas theme tune.

 

[Angela Channing]

All this pessimism on this thread! I voted for hope. In the past I've often voted Labour to keep the Tories out but this time I enthusiastically voted for Labour because of Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party manifesto.

We are one of the richest countries in the world but the wealth is too concentrated in the hands of too few people and the Conservative Party not only want to keep that situation but want to exacerbate it. They have been holding this country back because they have been holding back those that are not the richest. Labour under Corbyn want to turn that around and make the economy work for everyone not just those at the top. I have never been so excited by a political party programme in my entire life than I have been about the kind of government that Jeremy Corbyn is proposing. What has become clear from the election campaign is that the more people see of Theresa May, the more they dislike her and the more they see of Jeremy Corbyn the more they like him. While her ratings have plunged, his have surged.

The final opinion polls released today and yesterday range from a 3% Labour lead to a 13% Conservative one but most of them seem to be coalescing around an 6-8% lead for the Tories. The difference in the results is down to how many younger people the pollsters think will vote. Polls that base young voters turnout on how many voted in 2015 show larger Conservative leads and those that think more young people will vote this time show small Tory leads and one shows a small Labour lead. So the key to the election result is how many young people actually vote today. After the way Theresa May and her nasty party have repeatedly screwed over young voters I think more of them will vote which is why I'm still optimistic about how well Labour will do.

 

[Angela Channing]

I'm just confused as to who is voting, whether it's for Trump or Brexit, it all feels tragic.

I've been in two minds about whether or not to bother to be honest.

This is why the Tories get in and things like Brexit and Trump happen. It's because people think their vote won't make a difference and don't bother. The tragedy is when people don't vote, the victory is when they do, especially if they vote Labour!

 

[Sarah]

But again NI doesn't get the choice of who the PM is. This is NOT a United Kingdom- it's the Kingdom of England. I'm really not sure how my vote matters. I did vote but it was all a bit of an anti climax. I was hoping for more excitement.

I don't mean to be pessimistic @Angela Channing but I'm not English and I live in a country that is overlooked time and time again. That's hard to be optimistic about.

 

[Angela Channing]

But again NI doesn't get the choice of who the PM is. This is NOT a United Kingdom- it's the Kingdom of England. I'm really not sure how my vote matters. I did vote but it was all a bit of an anti climax. I was hoping for more excitement.

I don't mean to be pessimistic @Angela Channing but I'm not English and I live in a country that is overlooked time and time again. That's hard to be optimistic about.

It's possible that there will be a hung Parliament in which case Theresa May will be looking to make a deal with the UUP or the DUP and Jeremy Corbyn with the SDLP so the numbers of MPs these parties get could be crucial. Because Sinn Fein do not take there seats in Parliament, the number of seats they get affects how many seats the ruling party need to get a majority. The results in Northern Ireland can have a massive effect on who finally gets to govern Britain.

However, you are right to point out that Northern Ireland often gets overlooked. Theresa May wants a hard Brexit even though that might bring in border controls between Northern Ireland and the Republic and her manifesto implies that she is considering bringing some kind of border control back. Her government is also considering bringing back direct rule to the country and I fear that will be even more likely if Mrs May goes into coalition with the Unionist parties. Both of these possibilities would be very serious nails in the coffin of The Good Friday Agreement but Theresa May doesn't care about anything other than keeping hold of power. Jeremy Corbyn has always shown interest in Northern Ireland even at the cost to his personal reputation. He met with Sinn Fein and Unionist Parties in the 1980s to encourage peace talks which Theresa May has tried to distort to smear his reputation by lying that he supported the IRA when he consistently condemned their violence. At least Mr Corbyn was trying to bring about peace to the country while the Conservative Party were content with trying to manage the violence and murder that was going on at the time and doing a woeful job. I've not read all the Conservative Manifesto but in Labour's they make a commitment to "to fully support the principles and structures inherent within the Good Friday Agreement and we remain committed to working with all sides to deliver real peace and greater prosperity to Northern Ireland". They also talk of having a "a relationship of equals with devolved administrations" of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and give the regions more input into the direction of government of the United Kingdom.

If I was in Northern Ireland, I would be pessimistic about a future Theresa May government but have real hope for change for the better if Jeremy Corbyn is elected.

 

[Emelee]

I think Theresa May will win, but not by as much as she had hoped for.

 

[Sarah]

Of course she will. Because people are just too afraid. Honestly I admire the positivity of @Angela Channing but nothing in the UK ever changes. I really wish NI wasn't a part of it anymore.