New political landscape arises in Essex
Nigel Farage elected for Reform UK in Clacton
Labour gains Southend West and Leigh, Southend East and Rochford, Harlow, Colchester and Thurrock from the Conservatives
Lib Dems take Chelmsford from Tories
Conservatives hold Witham, Braintree, Harwich and North Essex, Maldon, Basildon and Billericay, North West Essex, Brentwood and Ongar, Epping Forest, Castle Point and Rayleigh and Wickford
South Basildon and East Thurrock heading for a recount
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has become an MP after winning the seat in Clacton - with the Conservatives in second place.
It is his eighth attempt to become an MP.
Mr Farage won the seat with 21,225 votes, a majority of 8,405.
He is the second Reform UK candidate to win tonight after Lee Anderson took Ashfield earlier.
Watch the moment Farage was elected as Clacton MP
Nigel Farage says he will "be out and about" in Clacton as he became an MP at the eighth time of asking.
Speaking as he left the count quickly after winning he said he would be a "visible" MP, Matt Knight reports from Clacton.
You can read more here.
Kemi Badenoch says her party, the Conservatives, have lost the trust of voters.
"As a party the Conservatives must come back together, look deep in our political souls, and ask some uncomfortable questions," she says, having won for the Tories in the newly-formed North West Essex seat.
"The pursuit of truth requires it, the long journey to regain voters trust demands it, but be in no doubt that work starts now."
Image source, ReutersThose two results just now in Southend are a huge blow to the Conservatives.
It was tight in Southend West and Leigh, with Anna Firth surrendering her 12,280 majority to Labour's David Burton-Sampson - who won just under 2,000 more votes than his Conservative rival.
David Burton-Sampson is elected with almost 17,000 votes.
Gavin Haran had hoped to retain James Duddridge's majority of 12,286 for the Conservatives in Southend East and Rochford.
Instead, Labour's Bayo Alaba secured more than 4,000 votes than him.
Charlotte Rose
Senior Reporter
The former Conservative MP for Chelmsford Vicky Ford, who has just lost her seat to the Liberal Democrats said she blamed "party infighting", a failure to deal with small boats and the cost of living crisis for her party's steep losses tonight.
She maintains she had very positive conversations with voters on the doorstep, with one man telling her this evening that he hadn't voted for her, "but it's not to do with you Vicky".
Ms Ford hopes her legacy to the city will be remembered as delivering a new railway station at Beaulieu Park, opening a new medical school at Anglia Ruskin University and securing funding for improvements at the Army and Navy roundabout.
Asked what she planned to do next she said she'd be "having a good sleep."
Vicky Ford says she felt privileged to have the opportunity to speak to people in their own homes
Here are the Conservatives in Epping Forest, where Neil Hudson has taken over from his Tory predecessor Dame Eleanor Laing.
Image source, David Jackman/BBCThis constituency has never returned a Labour MP in both its forms as Saffron Walden and now North West Essex.
Business secretary Kemi Badenoch has seen her 27,594 majority cut down to a gap of fewer than 3,000 votes between her nearest rival, Labour's Issy Waite.
But most importantly for her, she has hung on.
There has been no declaration in Basildon and Billericay after a second full vote count.
Electoral officials says counting staff are now "completing a bundle check" after no conclusive result from second vote count.
Conservative Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch has held on to her North West Essex seat.
On Thursday, in a post on X, she had accused her local council of “forgetting” to send up to 2,600 voters in her constituency their postal votes.
Despite her concerns, she has kept her majority over Labour - but it’s shrunk from 23,000 votes in 2019 to 2,610.
Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, wins in Clacton - with the Conservatives in second place.
It's his eighth attempt - Farage has failed to become an MP on seven occasions before now.
He gets 21,225 votes, a majority of 8,405.
He’s the second Reform candidate to win tonight, after Lee Anderson took Ashfield earlier.
Nigel Farage is elected in Clacton with more than 21,000 votes.
Here's Lib Dem Marie Goldman looking very pleased, having won Chelmsford from the Conservatives.
The county capital had been a Tory safe seat since 1950.
Image source, Charlotte Rose/BBCIt has been a busy past hour as news from various different counts has continued to pile in.
To recap, Labour has gained Harlow, Colchester and Thurrock from the Conservatives.
In Chelmsford, the Tories lost to the Liberal Democrats.
The Conservatives have retained Brentwood and Ongar, Epping Forest, Castle Point and Rayleigh and Wickford.
Alex Burghart wins 17,731 votes and is re-elected.
Veteran Conservative Robert Halfon decided he would not stand again this election, leaving his Tory replacement hoping to hang on to his 14,000 majority.
This is a bellwether town and so, since 1983, the party winning here has gone on to win the general election.
Chris Vince secured 16,313 votes, beating second placed Conservative candidate Hannah Ellis.
Dame Eleanor Laing had held Epping Forest from 1997 until stepping down at this election.
She has now handed over the baton to Neil Hudson.
Since its creation in 1974, the constituency has never returned a Labour MP.
