Summary

  • Conservatives gain six East Midlands seats at expense of Labour

  • Dennis Skinner loses seat after 49 years

  • Labour's Vernon Coaker loses Gedling after 22 years

  • Conservatives win Bassetlaw for first time since 1935

  • Labour retain eight seats - seven in city constituencies

  • Re-elected Jon Ashworth calls it 'worst result for Labour since the 1930s'

  • Latest general election 2019 updates from across the East Midlands

  1. Former Conservative MP 'cautiously optimistic'published at 00:02 Greenwich Mean Time 13 December 2019

    Amy Woodfield
    BBC News

    Alberto Costa, who has been the Leicestershire South MP since 2015, said he's "very cautiously optimistic" about the upcoming election result.

    Alberto CostaImage source, UK Parliament

    He said: "The British people had to make up their mind - did they want a Conservative majority government, that could get Brexit done and allow the country to calm down and move forward, or was it going to be another hung parliament."

    If the exit poll prediction is correct he said it will allow the leavers and remainers to be "brought back together".

  2. Election 'was called by the Labour and Lib Dems'published at 23:38 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2019

    Alex Regan
    BBC News

    Former Conservative and prominent remainer Anna Soubry has criticised both the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party for tonight's potential Conservative victory.

    On Twitter she wrote: "Just to remind everyone. This election was called by the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats fuelled by tribalism and Kool-Aid when a People's Vote was within our grasp."

    Anna SoubryImage source, UK Parliament

    She is standing as an independent in Broxtowe, BBC political reporter Hugh Caswall said it was a "top Labour target in Nottinghamshire".

  3. Tory candidate attacked by dogpublished at 23:36 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2019

    BBC Radio Derby

    Nigel Mills, the Conservative candidate for Amber Valley in Derbyshire, is nursing a bandage on his finger after being bitten by a dog while out canvasing on Monday.

    It's not known who the dog's owner was planning to vote for.

    Nigel Mills
  4. Tory smiles at Harborough countpublished at 23:31 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2019

    Bridget Blair
    BBC Radio Leicester Reporter

    There's a real atmosphere already at Parklands Leisure Centre in Oadby where we're awaiting the results for the Harborough constituency.

    The walls here are painted "badminton blue" and everyone who is wearing a blue rosette has a big smile on their face.

    Conservative rosetteImage source, PA Media

    They're all talking about the predicted 86 Conservative majority in the exit polls.

    Phil King, the Conservative leader of the Harborough District Council, told me "the exit polls haven't lied in the last few elections".

  5. Former Loughborough MP says people 'wanted to move forward'published at 23:12 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2019

    Alex Regan
    BBC News

    The former Loughborough MP and Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan says the exit poll shows that the country wants to move forward and "get Brexit done".

    Commenting on LBC, Ms Morgan said: "The bit that got people nodding on the doorsteps was do you want the country to be able to move forward?

    "Do you want there to be a clear decision? And people said yes."

    Nicky MorganImage source, Getty Images

    Ms Morgan announced she would not be seeking re-election because her political career had a "clear impact" on her family, and she was the subject of abuse.

    She added: "If [the exit poll] is proven to be right then it will give Boris Johnson that ability to get Brexit done but also to move the country forward on many other issues.

  6. Skinner facing defeat in Bolsoverpublished at 23:09 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2019

    Chris Doidge
    BBC Radio Derby, political reporter

    The exit poll suggests there is a 94% likelihood that Bolsover will go to the Conservatives.

    Dennis Skinner has held the seat since 1970.

    Elsewhere in the county, Margaret Beckett's Derby South seat is too close to call while Derby North is likely to go Conservative, but still quite close.

    Dennis Skinner
  7. Ballots arrive at Leicestershire countpublished at 22:54 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2019

    Alex Regan
    BBC News

    Ballots from across the Leicestershire North West constituency are arriving at the count in Whitwick.

    The Conservative's Andrew Bridgen is defending the seat, in 2017 he returned to the Commons with a comfortable majority of 13,286.

    Leicestershire North West
  8. Derby North Conservative 'delighted' by exit pollpublished at 22:53 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2019

    Simon Ward
    East Midlands Today Reporter

    The Conservative candidate for Derby North Amanda Solloway has said she is "delighted" by the exit poll, which predicts the Tories will have a majority of 50 seats.

    Derby North was was snatched from the Conservatives in 2017 by Labour's Chris Williamson, although he has since been suspended after a row about anti-Semitism. He stood as an independent in this year's election.

    Could this have split the Labour vote in Derby North?

    Amanda Solloway

    Tony Tinley is representing Labour with The Brexit Party's Alan Graves; Green's Helen Hitchcock; and Liberal Democrat Gregory Webb also standing.

  9. Online error confuses student voterspublished at 22:46 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2019

    Sandish Shoker
    BBC News

    Earlier today, students turned out in their droves leading to queues at a polling station near Nottingham Trent University.

    Nottingham Trent University polling station queueImage source, Louis Cypher

    But for students in other areas, some claimed to struggle to find where to vote because of an anomaly between information on polling cards and on the Nottingham City Council website.

    University of Nottingham student Sloe Foxon lives in Radford Boulevard.

    When he put information into the city council's website to find his polling station, but it took him to the wrong site and his name wasn't on the list.

    He eventually found his site after several phone calls.

    Nottingham City Council said: "Although the correct polling station was printed on polling cards, a different polling station appeared on the online finder. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this has may have caused."

  10. Tory candidate Ben Bradley gets into the festive spiritpublished at 22:30 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2019

    Mike O'Sullivan
    Reporter, East Midlands Today

    Usually general elections take place in the spring, so Christmas jumpers are not a fixture at counts.

    But Mansfield's Tory candidate Ben Bradley has decided to get into the festive spirit and said it's national Christmas Jumper Day tomorrow.

    He gained the traditionally Labour seat for the Conservatives in 2017, and he hopes to return to the Commons this evening.

    Ben Bradley
  11. The Leicestershire seats to keep an eye on tonightpublished at 22:29 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2019

    Tim Parker
    BBC Leicester political correspondent

    In Leicestershire, the one to watch will be Loughborough. The university’s large student population should still be in town as term doesn’t officially finish until Friday.

    Will they get out in enough numbers to impact on the result?

    Tory candidate Jane Hunt hopes to step into former culture secretary Nicky Morgan’s shoes.

    But Labour’s been fighting hard to grab the seat, which it lost to the Conservatives in 2010.

    Nicky Morgan and Keith VazImage source, PA Media

    In Leicester city, for the first time in 32 years, Labour has a challenge to retain Leicester East after longstanding MP Keith Vaz stood down after a very public downfall.

    There's been much media attention on Mr Vaz, and nearly as much on Labour’s choice to replace him, Claudia Webbe.

    Some say she has alienated core Labour voters and the Hindu community after she chaired a national party debate on Kashmir earlier this year.

  12. Welcome to the East Midlands 2019 general election coveragepublished at 22:00 Greenwich Mean Time 12 December 2019

    Alex Regan
    BBC News

    Hello and welcome to the BBC East Midlands election coverage.

    The polls closed at 22:00 and counting will begin in the coming moments. In the next few hours you can expect to see the first results from Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire.

    We will be keeping you up to date on the latest poll results from across the region.

    Ballot boxImage source, PA Media

    Reporters from across our local radio network will be at all 32 counts, and you can listen to their overnight coverage by following these links:

    If you're staying up with us get the kettle on, pop some coffee in the cafetiere, and get ready for a long night.