Conservative party wins overall majority in UK’s election as Corbyn to stand down as Labour leader

Boris Johnson will return to Downing Street with a big majority after the conservatives swept aside Labour in its traditional heartlands.

The conservatives won 326 seats and their majority is now on course to be between 78 and 82.

The prime minister said this would give him a mandate to get Brexit done and take the UK out of the EU next month.

Forecast suggests that the Tories will get 364 members of parliament, Labour 203, the SNP 48, the Lib Dems 12, Plaid Cymru four, the greens one, and the Brexit party none.

That means the conservatives will have their biggest majority at Westminster since Margaret Thatcher’s 1987 election victory.

Labour, which has lost seats across the north, Midlands and Wales in places which backed Brexit in 2016, is facing its worst defeat since 1935.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn is to stand down as labour leader.

The party is set for its lowest number of seats since 1935 as support crumbled in its former heartlands, with the conservatives set to win a majority of between 78 and 82.

Mr Corbyn blamed Brexit for Labour’s poor showing as he accepted victory in his Islington North constituency.

Corbyn also criticized media attacks towards himself, his family and the party.