Martin Lewes
Reporter

Westmorland and Lonsdale had Conservative MPs for 99 years until Tim Farron took the seat with a majority of just 267 in 2005.

In 2010 he was more than 12,000 votes ahead of his Conservative opponent Gareth McKeever, and in 2015 Ann Myatt cut that back to just over 8,000; with both candidates being brought in from elsewhere in the country.

James Airey is a farmer from South Cumbria with a long record in local politics, and in a year when the Liberal Democrats made gains elsewhere, the party leader Tim Farron saw his own majority reduced to a marginal 777.

This morning, asked whether he would stand again, Mr Airey's reply was "Absolutely, yes".

Labour has ousted Conservative James Wharton from Stockton South.

The Carlisle Conservative MP John Stevenson says the Conservatives should have made more of their stance over Brexit.

Mr Stevenson, who held his seat with a reduced majority, said negotiating a departure from the EU would remain the main task for any incoming government.

Martin Lewes
Reporter

Labour's John Woodcock, who hung on to his seat in Barrow and Furness by 209 votes after a recount, admitted he had not expected to win.

You can see his relief in these two pictures.

There's a tearful hug with Isabel Hardman, and a smile as wide as the Walney Channel as he talks to David Dimbleby

Isabel, who's deputy editor of the Conservative political magazine The Spectator, later tweeted her congratulations.

North East MEP and UKIP general secretary Jonathan Arnott says he is resigning from the party because it's manifesto "failed to be radical on economic issues" and "simply wasn't good enough".

UKIP's "blundering approach" to FGM was also criticised, as were the party's positions on terrorism, VAT, and the burqa ban.

In the statement, he writes that the party needs to "stop making it difficult - impossible, even" for people to vote for them.

He says that he "profoundly disagreed" with UKIP's general election campaign, and remained silent out of respect for "close personal friend" Paul Nutall.

However, despite the criticism, and describing the party as being at "last-chance saloon", he says that UKIP are needed more than ever.

UKIP general secretary Jonathan Arnott is to step down from the party.

The North East MEP is unhappy with a number of the party's policies including the ban on burqas and believes the rebranded integration policy "victimised" Muslims.

The news closely follows resignation of party leader, Paul Nuttall.

BBC Radio Cumbria interviewed the politics expert Dr Matthew Johnson about the election result. Here's his verdict.

Copeland's Conservative MP Trudy Harrison, who retained the seat she won in a by-election earlier this year, said Theresa May shouldn't resign, even though the election hadn't given the landslide her party originally hoped for.

Adam Clarkson
BBC Tees

Police have moved to reassure the public after reports of a man taking a "machete" to a polling station turned out to be a little less serious.

The man is said to have arrived in South Bank near Middlesbrough where he announced that the blade in his possession needed "sharpening".

The police were then called and officers arrived at about 13:00.

Cleveland Police have now confirmed that the blade did indeed need sharpening - but it was a vegetable knife.

The man was taking it to a garage to be sharpened.

Speaking at his party's headquarters, Paul Nuttall has announced he is standing down as UKIP leader, saying it "has been a honour" to head the party.

"It is clear UKIP requires a new focus and new ideas," he said.

Francesca Williams
BBC News

Some politicians' pre-result chats with reporters have quickly proved overly optimistic tonight.

Oh, what a difference half an hour makes.

If you want to go a little bit further back than that and have the benefit of a few hundred years' worth of hindsight, Durham County Council can help.

The Green Party decided late in the day not to stand in Westmorland and Lonsdale.

In 2015, their candidate Chris Loynes took 1,798 votes.

Tim Farron's majority this time was 777.

Adam Clarkson
BBC Tees

If you're just joining us and are currently getting your head around what happened in the North East, here are the key points:

Labour holds Newcastle and Sunderland. And if you're wondering - Newcastle won the race with Sunderland to declare first. Chi Onwurah retained the seat with 64.9% of the vote.

Labour take Stockton South from the Conservatives. In what was one of the biggest regional shocks, Conservative James Wharton found out he narrowly lost after a recount.

Conservatives have gained Middlesbrough South & Cleveland East from Labour. The Conservative vote gained 12.6% since 2015. Simon Clarke took the seat vacated by Tom Blenkinsop with a majority of just 120.

Liberal Democrats keep Westmorland & Lonsdale.Party leader Tim Farron kept the seat by 777 votes after a recount.

David MacMillan
BBC Tees

It's a bad day to be getting your holiday pennies, I'm afraid.

Sterling has fallen overnight, down 1.5% against the dollar in Asian trading and 1.5% against the Euro. As it stands, a pound will get you 1.13 euros or 1.27 dollars if you're heading to the USA.

The FTSE though may actually rise because the fall in pound can give shares paid for in sterling a boost.

The Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron faced his most serious opponent since he was elected in 2005, in the shape of local Conservative farmer James Airey.

There was also a more humorous candidate called Mr Fishfinger.

When all the votes were counted, Mr Farron's Liberal Democrat majority plunged from nearly 9,000, to 777.

Here's his reaction:

Image source, Getty Images

Labour's Jenny Chapman says she is "shocked" to keep her Darlington seat.

In case you missed it earlier - Labour has ousted the Conservative's James Wharton from Stockton South but the Tories have taken Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.

A recount was held before it was confirmed Labour's Paul Williams had taken Stockton South.

Mr Williams began his career as a junior doctor 20 years ago at what was known then as South Cleveland Hospital.

He told BBC Tees: "[Election night] brought back some memories of what it's like to go through a night without any sleep.

"Our manifesto said a lot of things to people. I've tried to run an energetic campaign. I've had the privilege of meeting thousands of people over the last few weeks... and listened to them.

"It feels as though Mrs May's gamble of going out to an election trying to create some certainty and stability has backfired - It looks like her position is untenable."

He added he will keep working as a doctor "in his own time".

Martin Lewes
Reporter

Here's how the UKIP vote declined between 2015 and 2017 across Cumbria:

• In Barrow, from 5,070 to 962
• In Carlisle, from 5,277 to 1,455
• In Copeland, from 6,148 to 1,094
• In Penrith and the Border, from 5,353 to 1,142
• In Workington, from 7,538 to 1,556

In Westmorland and Lonsdale, the party took 3,031 votes in 2015, and did not stand at all this time.

This echoes the national picture where the party's share of the vote declined some 10%.

The Labour MP for Workington, Sue Hayman, says she believes it was proposals to change the services offered at West Cumbria's hospitals, and schools funding, that ensured her re-election.

Labour take Stockton South but the Conservatives win Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.