BBC Radio 4

Over on Radio 4, presenter Emma Barnett pushes Michael Gove into something of a corner as she asks him if he would like to thank Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage for his help in the Conservatives' predicted success in the election.

Mr Farage chose to pull more than 300 of his candidates from constituencies to help the chances of a Conservative majority.

Mr Gove says the people he most wants to thank include the candidates, the activists, and the voters.

Mr Farage says: "It's always party before country with you lot isn't it?

"I wouldn't expect anybody in the Conservative Party to thank anybody. They only think about themselves."

Polls closed two hours ago, so where are we now:

• The Conservatives are set to win an overall majority of 86 in the general election, according to an exit poll for the BBC, ITV and Sky News.
• Tory figures are being cautious right now, but say that if the result is born out, they'll be cracking on with Brexit asap
• The exit poll appears to bring very bad news for Labour, with the worst result for them for many decades forecast
• Labour's John McDonnell blamed Brexit for squeezing out all other issues
• The first big moment of the night came when the Tories took Blyth Valley in north-east England - a Labour seat since 1950. The BBC's political editor says it's a huge moment, potentially symbolic of the night as a whole. Watch that moment below.
• The exit poll predicts a very good night for the SNP - upwards of 50 seats - but there's less certainty about that forecast
• The Lib Dems are forecast to get 13 seats and the Brexit Party none
• The Green Party will still have one MP and Plaid Cymru will lose one seat for a total of three, the survey suggests
• Read Laura Kuenssberg's analysis and our at-a-glance piece, summing things up so far

The DUP's Brexit spokesman, Sammy Wilson, has a split opinion on the projected results.

"A big majority will in one way be good for the country," he says.

"But it will present certain challenges for us as [Boris Johnson's] Brexit agreement is so disadvantageous for Northern Ireland in terms of the impact on economy and the longer term constitution.

"But we have another year of negotiations and that is going to be full of pitfalls and challenges, and there will be things the government will find very difficult to sell.

"That will give us opportunity to have some influence."

Remember, the DUP had been propping up the Tory government since Theresa May lost her majority in 2017, but that support fell away after the DUP reacted very badly to Mr Johnson's Brexit deal.

Vicki Young
Chief Political Correspondent

The Conservative Party in Parliament is going to be transformed with MPs representing areas of England and Wales they never have before.

What effect will that have on policy?

Kirsty Wark
Newsnight Presenter

The SNP are being very cautious - practically all the seats in Scotland are marginal.

But one indication will come quite soon - Rutherglen will declare around 1:30/2 GMT.

At the moment that seat has a Labour majority of 268. If that goes to the SNP with a majority of 5,000 that will indicate the exit poll is not far off.

The SNP had 35 seats - they probably have to get into the early 40s to allow Nicola Sturgeon to push her case for a second independence referendum.

Anything more than that and her case for indyref 2 is much strengthened.

Interestingly, Nicola Sturgeon was getting a bit of flak about pressing the independence button during the campaign.

If the exit poll is anywhere near right she has hit the target.

Professor Sir John Curtice
Polling expert

The exit poll forecast that the Conservatives would narrowly win Blyth Valley with a 15-point drop in the Labour vote - which happened.

Labour did a little better in Newcastle Central, but that is a more Remain-leaning seat.

Don't be surprised if when we get further south and into more pro-Remain seats we don't see spectacular gains from the Tories.

But in Leave areas, working class areas, Labour could be serious trouble if these results are at all typical.

A crucial caveat for north of the border though.

There is lots of excitement at the projection of 55 seats for the SNP.

But we don't have that many sampling points in Scotland and there are lots of marginal seats.

As in 2017, the SNP figure for Scotland is the bit that we are, frankly least, confident about.

ITV News

Image source, PA Media

Former Chancellor George Osborne has told ITV of his surprise about the first Conservative gain.

He says: "We never thought we'd get Blyth Valley!"

Laura Kuenssberg
BBC political editor

It was fascinating to see that winning candidate in Blyth Valley - he could hardly believe it.

This is a symbolic moment of this night.

It is early doors and a lot could change, but the Conservatives taking this seat is remarkable.

It is also interesting that the winning candidate personally mentioned Boris Johnson.

He went time and again to the North East, and he might have been that Conservative leader that could reach parts of the country that others couldn't reach.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

The first results of the night suggest seem to back up the exit poll.

The Blyth Valley result is a big moment. This is the first time the area has had a Tory MP and not a Labour one.

It suggests traditional Labour heartlands are not safe and we may see more fall over the course of the night.

Although Labour won Houghton and Sunderland South, they won’t be popping champagne corks.

Their vote was down almost 19% - with the Brexit Party taking 15.5%.

The shadow chancellor says the exit poll predicting large Conservative gains has come has a shock.

Former Labour MP Kate Hoey - who backed Bexit - says if the predictions are correct, it shows Labour has "lost touch with its working class decent supporters in areas of the country that voted to Leave".

She says: "The difference between 2017 and now is because then both parties were committed to Brexit.

"Once that changed - and there are other issues too about the direction of Jeremy Corbyn - but Brexit has really changed things up there, with the Brexit Party having taken votes from Labour.

"It is a very, very damaging night for Labour."

Ms Hoey was speaking before the Blyth Valley result came out but what she says seems to tie in...

The first surprise win of the evening - the Conservatives take Blyth Valley from Labour.

This is a former mining constituency and has been in Labour hands since 1950.

First results are through - Labour holds Newcastle Upon Tyne Central, and Houghton and Sunderland South.

BBC Radio 4

Image source, BBC/Ross Hawkins

Over on Radio 4, presenter Emma Barnett asks cabinet minister Michael Gove how fast things will move with Brexit now if there is a Tory majority.

He won't confirm exact plans before the results come in, but says this:

"If it is the case that we get a Conservative majority, we absolutely will be cracking on.

"MPs both re-elected and newly elected can't presume there will be a gentle glide-path into the New Year."

He says Christmas "will be preserved" and "Hogmanay will be inviolate", even for the new MPs. But he adds: "MPs are there to work."

Friday's front pages are dominated by the results of tonight's exit poll, with the predicted "Johnson landslide" being the key theme.

The Mail argues it's a reason to "rejoice", while the Daily Mirror calls it the "nightmare before Xmas".

Here are some of the papers...

Joey D'Urso
BBC digital election journalist

The BBC’s exit poll constituency forecast is now live.

This is just a forecast and we don’t know for sure yet whether it’s right. But the area breakdown gives us some clues as to where and how Boris Johnson’s Conservatives may achieve a majority of 86.

It suggests the party has made big gains in Leave-voting areas in the Midlands and North of England.

The forecast says seats like Dudley North, Wakefield, Ashfield and Workington are very likely to swing from Labour to the Conservatives.

Workington has been seen as emblematic of the sort of place that Boris Johnson’s campaign targeted - strongly Leave-voting, and historically pro-Labour.

This forecast says rumours that the prime minister was under threat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip were overcooked, and he is overwhelmingly likely to retain his seat.

Other Conservative big hitters rumoured to be at risk - including Dominic Raab, Iain Duncan Smith and Theresa Villiers - appear to be safe.

But it suggests Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson is at risk of losing her seat to the SNP in Dunbartonshire East.

It also suggests Labour frontbencher Laura Pidcock’s race in North West Durham is “too close to call”.

Remember, these are predictions though and we won't know until the results come in.

It's a "bundle recount" at Blyth Valley, which "won't take too long", the presiding officer tells us...

Naga Munchetty
BBC News

We were expecting Blyth Valley, in the North East, to be the first place to announce.

The target set was 44 minutes in Sunderland in 2015.

And this was considered a safe Labour seat.

But now we are facing a delay because the vote is very, very close.

We are not quite sure yet, but there might even be a recount.

Who doesn't like a bit of excitement in the election?

According to the BBC's Anthony Day turnout in Blyth Valley was 64% and the Conservatives are "quietly confident".