We're bringing our live coverage to an end now with all the results, but one, declared.

South Basildon and East Thurrock is to be the subject of a recount taking place at 14:00 BST.

Keep an eye on the BBC News website's dedicated Essex area here for the latest when that result is confirmed.

National updates will continue rolling in through the day via our dedicated live blog here.

Priti Patel resigned as home secretary in September 2022 and has since been confined to the background of the Conservative party, having once been one of its most senior figures.

Her majority of 24,082 that she won in 2019 has been cut to just more than 5,000 today, ahead of her nearest challenge Rumi Chowdhury, of Labour.

Reform UK candidate Timothy Blaxill secured just shy of 10,000 votes in the Witham vote.

The Conservatives previously held all 18 seats in Essex but lost eight

Priti Patel has been re-elected in Witham, having secured 18,827 votes.

Crumbling majorities have been a recurring theme on the night for the Conservatives.

James Cleverly secured just 4,000 votes more than his nearest challenger, Labour's Matthew Wright.

At the last general election in 2019, the former home secretary had a majority of 24,673.

We have just heard from our reporter Simon Dedman that South Basildon East Thurrock is going to a full recount this afternoon at 2pm at the Civic Centre in Grays.

James Cleverly, the former Home Secretary, has been elected in Braintree with 17,414 votes.

Change came to the country and here to Essex as well, reports BBC Essex's Matt Knight.

For the first time since 2005, Labour won seats here in Colchester, Harlow, Thurrock, and then quite incredibly both in Southend West and Leigh and Southend East and Rochford – places that have never had a Labour MP.

But Labour weren’t the only ones celebrating on a night of drama, the Liberal Democrats won in Chelmsford, and at the eighth time of asking Nigel Farage won the support of voters in Clacton to finally make his way to Parliament as a Reform MP.

The Tories held on in areas like Castle Point and Rayleigh and Wickford, but only just, after the Reform vote surged. Perhaps their night was best summed up in Basildon and Billericay where Richard Holden, the Conservative Party chairman, won by just 20 votes from his Labour challenger.

He had sought a safe seat in Essex after moving from the north east, but in this general election nowhere was safe for the Conservatives as they met the anger of voters, the return of Labour and the emergence of Reform.

There are only a few tables left with ballots to count for the Braintree constituency - and Witham is not far behind.

We're also still waiting on South Basildon and East Thurrock.

Sir Bernard Jenkin,who held his Harwich and North Essex seat by just over 1,000 votes, said Mr Sunak should not resign immediately and should continue to lead the party for "some months" to give it time to reflect.

He told the BBC: "Mr Sunak certainly should not resign immediately, he should stay on at least until conference, preferably until Christmas.

"I think the danger is a leadership contest would be more preoccupied by blame and bitterness because we haven't been through the grieving process and learning process we need to go through before we can make a proper judgement."

He added: "I hope Rishi will find the energy to stay on as leader of the opposition and the Conservative party for some months to give our party time to reflect before we launch into another leadership contest."

That's another close shave for the Conservatives in Harwich and North Essex.

Sir Bernard Jenkin won by just more than 1,000 votes over Labour's Alex Diner, securing 16,522.

Sir Bernard Jenkin is re-elected with 16,522 votes.

Image source, Bethan Rush/BBC

Sir John Whittingdale had a majority of 30,000 for the Conservatives in Maldon as he came into this election.

Pamela Walford, of Reform, played a big part in cutting this down as she secured 12,468 votes.

Sir John - who won 19,374 votes - now has a majority of just under 7,000.

Sir John Whittingdale is re-elected with 19,374 votes.

James Cleverly’s agent was just rubbing her hands together as she walked across the hall, Elliot Deady reports from the Braintree count.

Conservatives on both sides of the room are still looking hopeful of another five years in Parliament for the soon to be former home secretary.

Essex is embarking on a new dawn with the map being rewritten across the county, our political reporter Matt Knight writes.

Labour have gained five seats, winning in Harlow, Thurrock, Colchester - and perhaps most incredibly in Southend, where they picked up both Southend West and Leigh and Southend East and Rochford from the Conservatives.

The Liberal Democrats are celebrating after winning in Chelmsford, while Nigel Farage managed to get over the line at last, winning for Reform in Clacton

To confirm just how tight Richard Holden's victory in Basildon and Billericay was... He won by just 20 votes.

He beat Labour's Alex Harrison, who won 12,885 votes.

No wonder there were multiple recounts here.

For those of you who are perhaps just joining us as the sun rises, here is where we are as things stand:

Labour have made gains from the Conservatives in Southend East and Rochford, Harlow, Colchester, Thurrock and Southend West and Leigh.

The Lib Dems have also gained Chelmsford from the Tories.

The Conservatives have managed to hold onto Basildon and Billericay, Castle Point, Rayleigh and Wickford, Epping Forest, North West Essex and Brentwood and Ongar.

We are still awaiting results in South Basildon and East Thurrock, Braintree, Witham, Maldon and Harwich and North Essex.

The selection of Richard Holden as the Conservatives’ candidate in Basildon and Billericay certainly ruffled a few feathers.

Mr Holden, who is chairman of the Tory party, had previously been the MP in North West Durham – some 300 miles away.

The announcement of his arrival had been described as a "slap in the face" by party officials in Essex.

He will now be hoping to win over his critics upon taking on the role here in south Essex.

Richard Holden wins the Basildon and Billericay seat.

Image source, Theo Beevers/BBC