
Theresa May has finally apologised to the Tory MPs who lost their seats overnight but refused to say if her election disaster had weakened her hand in Brexit negotiations

A humbled Theresa May has finally apologised to defeated Tory MPs and pledged to stay for five more years - but is now too 'weak' to sack rivals including Philip Hammond and Boris Johnson, it was revealed today.

The Prime Minister's political career is hanging by a thread after she promised to offer 'certainty' for Britain as PM - despite the Tories suffering humiliating losses when her election gamble backfired.

She will now rely on the support of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland to prop her up when she had hoped for a landslide victory.

Mrs May has said Chancellor Philip Hammond, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Brexit Secretary David Davis and Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon - five favourites to replace her as leader - will keep their jobs.

The Chancellor and Foreign Minister could have been 'goners' but she is now 'too weak to sack them', a source said, while another expert suggested she has has been 'taken prisoner' by her Cabinet colleagues.

Earlier Mrs May stood in Downing Street and declared her determination to carry on for a full five-year term after getting permission from the Queen to form a government, even though she spectacularly lost her Commons majority overnight.

Incredibly she failed to mention that she had humiliatingly lost seats to Labour after calling the election three years early in a bid to capitalise on sky-high poll ratings.

Around two hours later she appeared on TV again and apologised to defeated Tory MPs after she was accused 'lacking humility'.

Mrs May acknowledged that she had called an election three years early hoping for a 'large' majority, adding: 'That was not the result that we secured'.

She said: 'As I reflect on the result, I will reflect on what we need to do in the future to take the party forward.

'I am sorry for those candidates and hard-working party workers who weren't successful but also particularly sorry for those colleagues who were MPs or ministers who had contributed so much to our country and who lost their seats and didn't deserve to lose their seats.'

Mrs May today refused to say if her election disaster has killed off Britain's chances of a good deal to leave the EU - with former Chancellor George Osborne saying: 'Hard Brexit went in the rubbish bin last night'.

Senior MPs such as Sarah Wollaston, Anna Soubry and Nicky Morgan have openly called for Mrs May to step aside - with the latter suggesting she should go within 'weeks or months' because her credibility is shot.

One senior Tory MP told ITV News: 'We all f***ing hate her. But there is nothing we can do. She has totally f***ed us'.

Mrs May declared her determination to carry on in Downing Street after going to see the Queen to request permission to form a government - even though she has lost her Commons majority

The PM was flanked by husband Philip on the steps of No10 as she delivered her statement after seeing the Queen today

Mrs May was welcomed back into Downing Street by staff after the Queen gave her permission to form a new government

But the Tory leader looked slightly awkward being clapped by No10 staff after her poor showing in the general election

How Theresa May could be deposed in the stormy weeks and months ahead Humiliated Theresa May is hoping to cling on to power with the backing of a small band of Northern Ireland unionists in Parliament - but she could still be toppled from government. And while the likelihood of Jeremy Corbyn leading his far-left party into a minority government have faded, it could still be on he cards. While Mrs May has declared her intention to stay on in Number 10, the coming weeks and months pose a series of challenges that may yet see her toppled. The 1922 Committee : Mrs May's first major test is just days away, with Conservative MPs due to assemble for a meeting of the influential 1922 Committee, which is expected on Tuesday night. It is here where she will come face to face with her angry backbenchers who will want answers over how she lost a 20 point lead to lead them to electoral disaster. Some have already broken cover and demanded that Mrs May axe her top aides Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill - the PM's closest confidants. Under Tory Party rules, if 15 per cent of Conservative MPs send a letter to the Graham Brady, chairman of ‘the 22’, demanding she goes then vote will be called. This means just 48 MPs would be able to trigger a vote of no confidence and potentially oust her. The Queen's Speech: If Mrs May survives her own MPs in the initial post-election fall-out, she still faces major hurdles when they return to Parliament next week. Her first major challenge will be getting the Queen's speech passed at the end of June - which sets out the government's legislative plan and essentially amounts to a vote of confidence for the administration. Mrs May will be hoping to get hers over the line with the support of the DUP, but Labour will table wrecking amendments to try to stop it. The Queen's speech is treated as a vote of confidence - if it fails the PM has to resign and Mr Corbyn would be invited to form a government. John McDonnell, will try to table amendments asking MPs to approve Labour's legislative programme rather than the Tory one. While this will probably fail, the votes should prove interesting to flush out how many allies Labour has among the smaller parties, like the SNP and the Greens. Without a formal coalition which gives them a working majority in the Commons the Labour government would be unlikely to last long. And it would point towards another General Election on the horizon. Budget: The next major challenge for Mrs May come in Autumn when the Chancellor will put forward the Budget. Nearly always controversial, this is when Mrs May will be particularly vulnerable to the threat of backbench rebellions over unpopular policies. And Labour will try to do all they can to encourage other MPs to vote against it as a means of toppling the government. Like the Queen's Speech, the Budget is a vote of confidence and if she loses it the PM would have to resign - opening the door once again to the possibility of a Labour government. Advertisement

Fully 23 hours after polls closed across the country, Labour finally took Kensington after three recounts meaning the final tally remained at 318 seats for the Conservatives and 262 for Labour.

The painstaking counting process ended up revealing Emma Dent Coad won by just 20 votes, claiming 16,333 against Tory's Victoria Borwick's 16,313.

Earlier, following an audience with the Queen, Mrs May said she would seek to lead a minority government supported by the Democratic Unionists (DUP).

'What the country needs more than ever is certainty, and having secured the largest number of votes and the greatest number of seats in the General Election, it is clear that only the Conservative and Unionist Party has the legitimacy and ability to provide that certainty by commanding a majority in the House of Commons,' she said in a statement on the steps of No 10.

'As we do, we will continue to work with our friends and allies in the Democratic Unionist Party in particular.

'Our two parties have enjoyed a strong relationship over many years, and this gives me the confidence to believe that we will be able to work together in the interests of the whole United Kingdom.'

Her frontbench team including Chancellor Philip Hammond and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon have been silent since the election disaster and a jubilant Jeremy Corbyn demanded she make way for him to become PM.

Boris Johnson publicly refused to back her as PM and some MPs said the Foreign Secretary, who has long harboured leadership ambitions, was out 'on manoeuvres'.

Brexit Secretary David Davis is the only one to have made a clear declaration that she should stay, insisting he would fight 'tooth and nail' to keep her in post.

But her closest aides Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill could be sacked as MPs lined up to blame them for several of her campaign catastrophes including the dementia tax that played so badly with voters. One source said Timothy was not with Mrs May in Downing Street today.

South Cambridgeshire MP Heidi Allen said: 'I don't think Theresa May can stay any longer than six months. If the leader picks people who advises them so badly - it's not the leader that we need.'

Tory MP Philip Davies said the party made 'a pig's ear' of the campaign and backbencher Nigel Evans said: 'We didn't shoot ourselves in the foot, we shot ourselves in the head'.

Evans added: 'The campaign was going swimmingly well until we launched our own manifesto, when we did the triple assault on our core vote, the elderly. And quite frankly, from then on in people were not interested in the Labour party’s manifesto. All they wanted to know was were they going to lose their winter weather payments and what the impact of the so-called dementia tax was going to be.

'We hijacked our own campaign and from then on it was an absolute disaster.'

Mr Evans also took aim at the Prime Minister’s tightly-controlled style of government, saying: ‘Had some of the Cabinet ministers seen that policy beforehand then surely that never would have featured in our manifesto.’

But there was also concern about the dysfunctional nature of the campaign.

Right-winger Philip Davies said it was time to ‘accept people are tired of austerity’. But he also attacked the campaign, saying: ‘I think it’s fair to say we made a bit of a pig’s ear of the national campaign really, to be honest.

‘The manifesto wasn’t very good, particularly in terms of social care. Dropping a policy on people a few weeks before an election that seemed to come out of thin air was clearly a bad mistake.’

Sarah Wollaston, Tory chairman of the Commons health committee, added: ‘I cannot see how the inner circle of special advisers can continue in post. It needs to be far more inclusive in future.’

Former Tory chancellor Lord Lamont said ‘there have been a lot of complaints’ about Mrs May’s inner circle. He added: ‘I think it is definitely the case that the Prime Minister has got to pursue a collective style of government, consulting ministers and not relying just on special advisers.’

One minister said Mr Timothy and Miss Hill should be ‘taken out and shot’. Another said: ‘Fiona and Nick will have to go – the Prime Minister might try to protect them but the party will not wear it.’

Former education secretary Nicky Morgan said Mrs May was right not to resign, but called for sweeping changes to the way she governs. ‘I think there’s real fury against the campaign, and the buck stops at the top,’ she said.

Mrs May relies heavily on her two most senior aides, with whom she has worked closely for years. They are blamed for helping persuade her to gamble on an election to take advantage of Labour’s weakness in the polls.

They have also taken the flak for tactics and the shambolic manifesto.

Criticism focused on a trio of policies hitting the party’s core older supporters – scrapping winter fuel allowance payments for most, ending the ‘triple lock’ protecting the state pension and leaving them open to potentially huge social care costs.

Former Chancellor George Osborne called the manifesto the worst in history and said that the poor result meant that 'Hard Brexit went in the rubbish bin'.

A surge in seats won by the Scottish Tories from the SNP saved her skin - but using her growing influence leader Ruth Davidson said Mrs May must listen to non-Tory voters and pursue 'an open Brexit not a closed one'.

Former minister Rob Wilson, who was booted out in the election, took a swipe at the PM's closest aides Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy saying the government could not be run by such a 'small group'.

Even the DUP, whom Mrs May must now rely on to keep her in Downing Street, said it would be 'difficult' for her to cling on. Meanwhile, it is not yet clear what price the party will extract in return for propping her up as premier.

The only thing saving Mrs May from utter disaster overnight was the Tory performance in Scotland. The party's leader north of the border, Ruth Davidson, inspired a 12-seat surge that ousted the SNP's former First Minister Alex Salmond in Gordon and Westminster leader Angus Robertson in Moray.

The Conservatives wound up with 318 MPs, Labour 262, the SNP 35 and the Lib Dems 14.

For an absolutely majority a party needs 326 seats out of the 650 in the Commons - although taking into account the impartial Speaker and the fact that Sinn Fein does not take up its seven seats, 320 is enough.

Support from the DUP, which is in line with the Tories on most issues, pushes her over the threshold. Ironically, it means that her effective majority is 17 - exactly the same figure as when she triggered the election six weeks ago.

Looking uncomfortable as she delivered a statement on the steps of No10 this afternoon, Mrs May defied the reality of her wafer-thin majority by insisting she is still determined to serve five years in office.

And she vowed to lead a government that would crackdown on terrorism and 'keep our country safe' in the wake of the atrocities in London and Manchester - despite painful questions about the number of chances missed by the police and MI5 to stop the murderers.

'What the country needs more than ever is certainty and having secured the largest number of votes and the greatest number of seats in the general election, it is clear only the Conservative and Unionist Party has the legitimacy and ability to provide that certainty by commanding a majority in the House of Commons,' she said.

'As we do, we will continue to work with our friends and allies in the DUP in particular. Our two parties have enjoyed a strong relationship over many years.

'This gives me the confidence to believe we will be able to work together in the interests of the whole UK.

'This will allow us to come together as a country and challenge our energies toward a successful Brexit deal that works for everyone in this country, securing a new partnership with the EU that guarantees our continued prosperity.

Theresa May was accompanied by husband Philip as she left Downing Street for an audience with the Queen earlier today

The Prime Minister arrived at Buckingham Palace earlier where she might well have faced some pointed questions from the monarch in private

As he walked into his Islington North count this morning, Mr Corbyn said: 'Welcome to the Labour parliament.' He later demanded that Mrs May quit so that he could try to form a government

Theresa May left No 10 with her husband Philip by her self to make the short car journey to Buckingham Palace, where she asked the Queen for permission to form a government - even though she has not won an outright majority

The PM is under the nation's glare after she led the country in a snap election which massively backfired for her party

'That's what people voted for last year. That's what we will deliver. Now let's get to work.'

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, DUP leader Arlene Foster said she spoke with Mrs May this morning to 'explore how it may be possible to bring stability to our nation'.

In yet another rollercoaster ride of political drama overnight:

London was a horrorshow for the Conservatives, with Education Secretary Justine Greening only just hanging on in Putney and Treasury minister Jane Ellison losing in Battersea after a 10 per cent swing to Labour. But Zac Goldsmith squeaked back in Richmond Park by just 45 votes.

In total eight ministers have been ousted, including Cabinet Office minister Ben Gummer from Ipswich, Gavin Barwell from Croydon Central, Nicola Blackwood from Oxford West, Rob Wilson from Reading East, Simon Kirby from Brighton Kemptown, Edward Timpson in Crewe & Nantwich, and James Wharton from Stockton South.

The SNP endured a dreadful night with their numbers at Westminster forecast to plummet from 54 to 34. The party's former First Minister Alex Salmond lost Gordon, and Westminster leader Angus Robertson was defeated in Moray.

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said he would have 'absolutely no choice' but to return to active politics if the result meant Brexit was under threat. 'We may well be looking down the barrel of a second referendum,' he said.

The Liberal Democrats are set to get 12 seats, up from nine, despite widespread expectations that they would be put to the sword after a dire campaign. Former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg lost Sheffield Hallam to Labour - but former business secretary Vince Cable fared better as he made a comeback in Twickenham and Ed Davey is returning in Kingston and Surbiton.

The pound tumbled dramatically against the US dollar and the euro as markets had priced in a solid Tory victory.

President Donald Trump reacted to the news his British counterpart had been humiliated at the ballot box by saying the result was 'surprising'.

Mr Corbyn today repeated his demand for Mrs May's resignation, adding he and party were 'ready to serve' and were preparing to form a minority government. He insisted: 'That's what we fought the election for.'

He said: 'We are offering to put forward the programme on which we fought the electon. We are there as the Labour Party… everyone can see the huge increase in our support.'

Mr Corbyn said Parliament should meet on schedule and MPs would then have a vote – but refused to concede Mrs May had the right to present her Queen's Speech as the leading party and the incumbent, as constitutional convention demands.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW AFTER THE TORY ELECTION SETBACK? 12.30pm: Theresa has gone to see the Queen to seek permission to form a government. The monarch might have asked some pointed questions - but will agree. Despite losing their overall majority in the election, the Tories are still the largest party. The support of 10 DUP MPs should allow them to pass a Queen's Speech and Budget. 1.30pm: Mrs May made a statement in Downing Street on her return from the Palace. This evening/tomorrow: The PM will conduct what is expected to be a very limited reshuffle - if only to replace ministers who were ousted overnight. Prior to the election there were strong signs she would replace Chancellor Philip Hammond, but she might not now have the political capital to push through such a move. June 13-16: New and returning MPs will be sworn in at the House of Commons. On the Tuesday the powerful Tory 1922 committee is likely to meet - giving clues as to whether backbenchers are happy to stand by her. June 19: The Queen's Speech will outline the new government's ambitions for the parliament, but they are likely to be very limited given Mrs May's tiny working majority. It is set to be a busy day - as formal negotiations between Brexit Secretary David Davis and his Brussels counterpart are also due begin. Advertisement

The Labour leader could force a vote on his own plans by tabling an amendment to Mrs May's Queen's Speech.

In a victory speech after winning Islington North for the ninth time, Mr Corbyn said: 'This election was called by the Prime Minister to gain a large majority in order to assert her authority.

'The election campaign has gone on for the last six weeks, I have travelled the whole country and you know what: politics has changed.

'Politics is not going back into the box where it was before. What has happened is people have said they have had quite enough of austerity politics, they have had quite enough of the underfunding of the health service, underfunding our schools and education service.'

He added: 'I am very proud of the results coming in around the country tonight, of people voting for hope, hope for the future and turning their backs on austerity.

'If there is a message from tonight's result it is this: the Prime Minister called the election, she wanted a mandate.

'The mandate she has got is lost Conservative seats, lost votes, lost support and lost confidence.

'I would have thought that was enough to go and make way for a government that will be truly representative of the people of this country.'

But speaking at her own count in Maidenhead, a clearly shaken Mrs May said: 'As we look ahead and wait to see what the final results will be, I know - as I say - the country needs a period of stability and whatever the results are the Conservative Party will ensure we fulfil our duty in ensuring that stability so that we can all, as one country, go forward together.'

DUP leader Arlene Foster made clear that her party was ready to prop up Mrs May in power, although it is expected to be an informal arrangement rather than a coalition.

However, despite signalling support for the Tories she predicted it would be 'difficult' for the Prime Minister to continue in her role.

'I certainly think that there will be contact made over the weekend but I think it is too soon to talk about what we're going to do,' she said.

The DUP and Conservatives have been in close touch throughout Mrs May's year in power, and contacts are believed to have continued as election results came in this morning.

The Northern Irish party is thought to have been cautious about committing itself to an arrangement because of uncertainty about the future of the Tory leadership.

Asked if she thought Mrs May would be able to stay in her job, the DUP leader told the BBC: 'I don't know', adding: 'I think it will be difficult for her to survive.'

East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson made clear the DUP would be demanding a quid pro quo for shoring up the Tory government. 'I think that puts us in a fantastic position to deliver for Northern Ireland,' he added.

Meanwhile, there was no sign of the big beasts in Mrs May's cabinet as she came to terms with an election result that took both main parties by surprise. Even as the polls closed last night, senior Labour sources were still telling MailOnline they were 'not optimistic' and expected to lose at least 30 seats. In fact they gained nearly as many.

The PM arrived at Buckingham Palace where she was given permission, as the leader of the biggest single party, to form a government

In contrast Tory MPs and officials were notably upbeat about their chances, even after the exit poll was published indicating they would take a hit.

As the scale of the debacle emerged last night, Mr Johnson was asked if he believed Mrs May should carry on as Prime Minister.

But the ambitious Foreign Secretary would only say 'it's early days'.

He also stayed silent when a reporter suggested that the Tory leader was 'fatally wounded' - and then appeared not to hear when another journalist asked him: 'Does your party need a new leader? Is it you?'

Cabinet Office minister Mr Wilson told the Guardian the Tory manifesto was like an 'exocet straight through the heart of our main supporters, older people'.

WHO ARE THE DUP AND WHAT WILL THEIR ROLE BE? The DUP is a socially conservative unionist party in Northern Ireland, led in Westminster by Nigel Dodds. It has long been an ally of the Tory party in London - but never have the two been so closely linked as they are now. The two parties believe in many similar things but there will be bumps ahead in the road. The 10 DUP MPs will fiercely stand up for their manifesto - particularly protection for pensioners. The DUP will protect the triple lock on pensions, winter fuel payment and oppose the Tory social care reforms - likely dooming all three proposals. The involvement of the party in running Westminster will also complicate power sharing in Northern Ireland as the DUP is locked in a dispute with Sinn Fein restoring the Assembly. Advertisement

'The party cannot have a situation whereby things are done within such a small group of people because there were too many huge mistakes - the manifesto was a huge mistake in the way it was presented. There always needs to be proper testing of ideas before they are launched,' he said.

Despite Tory hopes they would be the biggest winners from a massive Ukip collapse, the exit poll at 10pm last night indicated Labour had hoovered up a big chunk of the vote. It said the Conservatives were on track to lose 16 seats, leaving them on 314 and well short of a majority - while Labour was up from 232 to 266.

However, things quickly looked even more grim for Mrs May, with Education Secretary Justine Greening barely clinging on in Putney and Treasury minister Jane Ellison losing Battersea amid a London meltdown.

Cabinet Office minister Ben Gummer was defeated in Ipswich, and there has also been a miserable showing in Wales, while Home Secretary Amber Rudd barely survived by 300 votes after a recount in her Hastings seat. Canterbury - which has been Tory for a century - also went to Mr Corbyn's party.

There are fears that a hung parliament could throw Britain into chaos barely a week before negotiations with the EU are due to get under way.

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage said he was ready to return to politics, warning that he feared a second referendum on Brexit.

The exit poll was greeted with disbelief on social media, with Gary Lineker branding it the 'biggest own goal' in history. Piers Morgan said the PM was 'toast'.

Mr Osborne said the numbers were 'catastrophic' and cast doubt on Mrs May's future.

The Evening Standard editor, who was brutally sacked from the Cabinet by Mrs May when she took office last July, lambasted the PM for her 'terrible manifesto' and 'wooden campaign'.

But he added that Mr Corbyn might have been the Conservatives' saving grace as another Labour leader could have won.

Mrs May was guided into Conservative HQ by husband Philip this morning after her humiliation in the election

Prime Minister Theresa May addressed Tory activists in CCHQ after saying the party would try to cling on in government this morning despite losing its overall majority. She is pictured leaving the offices with husband Philip

An ashen-faced Prime Minister insisted the country needed a 'period of stability' and claimed her party was still on track to have the most MPs

The SNP's former First Minister Alex Salmond was humiliatingly ousted from his Gordon seat by the Conservatives

Security seemed to have been stepped up outside Mr Corbyn's London home today in the wake of his surge in the polls

'Theresa May is probably going to be one of the shortest serving prime ministers in our history,' he told ITV.

Mr Osborne also raised the prospect that the Brexit process could now be totally different due to the results. 'Hard Brexit went in the rubbish bin tonight,' he said.

EU WARNS WEAKER PM WILL UNDERMINE BREXIT PROCESS The EU's Budget Commissioner has warned that a weakened UK government could undermine the Brexit process. Gunther Oettinger told German radio station Deutschlandfunk that in negotiations, 'a weaker partner weakens the whole thing'. If both sides in a negotiation were strong, 'you get results more quickly.' Mr Oettinger said that the European Union was ready for Brexit talks which are due to begin on June 19. But he warned that time was running out to reach an agreement which could be approved by all 27 remaining governments within the two-year deadline set out in Article 50. Theresa May's decision to hold a snap election had delayed matters, he said: 'There is only 15 or 16 months left.' Advertisement

His point was underlined by former Cabinet Secretary Lord O'Donnell, who said he believed the EU would simply ignore Mrs May because she was not likely to last long.

'The prime minister has to stay as prime minister for now,' he told the BBC.

'I think those negotiations on Brexit will be non- existent. It takes two sides to negotiate. The EU will say 'who are we negotiating with? Is this a prime minister who is going to be around for very much time. What's their position?'

Ms Soubry made no effort to conceal her anger at Mrs May when asked whether she should resign.

'That's a matter for her. It's bad. I think she in a very difficult place. She's a remarkable woman and a very talented woman but she now has to consider her position,' she said.

She added: 'Theresa did put her mark on this campaign and she takes responsibility, she always does and I know she will, for the running of the campaign as well.

'It was a tightly knit group and it was her group who ran this campaign'

Katie Perrior, Mrs May's former director of communications at 10 Downing Street, said it would be 'incredibly difficult' for her former boss to stay as Conservative leader.

She told Sky News: 'It depends whether or not the Conservative Party says 'Look, we're 10 days away from the start of the Brexit negotiations, what we need right now is a stable leader to rally around but we will look at this in a month or two and come back to it'.

'But that is whether or not they're willing to do that.

'There are a lot of bruised people out there this morning ... they're bruised because they may have had lower majorities or indeed they've got friends who have lost their seats.'

Ms Perrior said it was 'damaging' for Mrs May not to take part in the televised debates, adding: 'I think the communications for the campaign have been pretty awful.'

THE PM'S BLUNDERS THAT COST HER THE ELECTION Theresa May's disastrous election campaign was dominated by blunder and failure: Calling the election at all: May called the poll three years early and did so for political advantage, annoying voters Backing fox hunting: In an early sign of complacency in the Tory campaign, May not only personally backed fox hunting but promised a repeal vote Social care U-turn: The Tory manifesto included a bold but controversial overhaul of social care funding that would have hit most home owners after death. Worse, she failed to defend the policy Failure to engage: May's brittle, boring campaign led to claims she was hiding from voters at tightly controlled events Swerving the TV debates: May refused to go head to head with any of her rivals on TV irritated voters further in the final stages of a dreadful campaign Advertisement

But Brexit Secretary David Davis said he would 'fight tooth and nail' to keep Mrs May in post, and dismissed suggestions he might be a contender to replace her.

'The simple truth is we have a Prime Minister, she is a very good leader, I'm a big supporter of hers,' Mr Davis said.

'I'll fight tooth and nail to keep her in place.'

In his victory speech as he was re-elected MP for West Bromwich East, deputy Labour leader Tom Watson said: 'Theresa May's authority has been undermined by this election.

'She is a damaged Prime Minister whose reputation may never recover.'

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said Mrs May needed to stay in office for the national interest.

He told BBC Question Time: 'Not only must she not resign, she has to not resign in the interest of the country because we need to move forward, we have got to go into the Brexit negotiations.'

Asked if Mrs May should lead the Tories into the next election, Mr Grayling said: 'The next election is a question for her. My view is we need her to stay as Prime Minister and stay as Prime Minister for the foreseeable future.'

Labour's John McDonnell said the result would 'change the nature of politics' in the UK.

'I tell you why – if you listen to what people are saying, Theresa May promised on seven different occasions that she wouldn't go for a snap general election,' he told the BBC.

'And she went for it on the basis that she wanted to secure a mandate that she already had. People just saw through that.

'They saw this as an election which was for party advantage rather than the interests of the country. And it looks as though they've rejected her as a result.'

Mrs Thornberry went on the attack, saying: 'Just think only seven weeks ago the hubris of the Prime Minister who was 20 points ahead, who wanted to have a blank cheque, she wanted to do whatever she wanted with the country with Brexit, with the economy, with our National Health Service and we said no and we meant it.

'And we put forward a popular manifesto with a leader of the party who has withstood the most extraordinary personal attacks, and has actually shown if anybody was strong and stable it was him.

Former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg's political humiliation was completed when he lost his Sheffield Hallam seat today

Nicola Sturgeon had a bruising election with the SNP losing more than a dozen MPs, mainly to the Tories

The blue surge north of the border was driven by Ruth Davidson, who has managed to revive the Tories' fortunes after decades in the doldrums

As the EU reacted to the news, German MEP Manfred Weber said Mrs May had 'brought chaos' to the UK (left) while the EU parliament's chief negotiator Guy Verhofstadt said she had scored 'yet another own goal'

The pound slumped on the bombshell news overnight (left) as markets had priced on a Tory victory. The Conservatives finished on 318, with Labour on 262, the SNP on 35 and the Lib Dems on 12 (pictured right)

'And this is a great result, if it's true.'

Ms Thornberry said Mrs May should 'consider her position' as she will have 'manifestly failed' if the exit poll turns out to be correct.

On what Labour would do, she added: 'We will see what happens next but if the Labour Party is called on to provide the next government, we will do so and do it in a unified way under a popular manifesto... with a leader who is strong.'

TURNOUT UP FOR GENERAL ELECTION Reports indicate that turnout is up by three points on the General Election in 2015. By the end of the night, it may hit pre-1997 levels, of around 70 per cent. After 131 results, the turnout stood at 67.31 per cent, an increase of 2.28 per cent. Total turnout for 2015 was 66.1 per cent. Some constituencies reporting a high level of turnout include: Tooting, 74 per cent, up from 70 per cent in 2015 Macclesfield, 72 per cent, up from 69.5 per cent Oxford West and Abingdon, up 79.6 per cent from 71.8 in 2015 Advertisement

Mr Osborne told ITV he doubted that any party would be able to form a stable government.

'If the poll is anything like accurate this is completely catastrophic for the Conservatives and for Theresa May,' he said.

'It's difficult to see, if these numbers are right, how they would put together the coalition to remain in office.

'But equally it's quite difficult to see how Labour could put together a coalition.

'It's on a real knife-edge.'

He added: 'Clearly if she's got a worse result than two years ago and is almost unable to form a government then she I doubt will survive in the long term as Conservative party leader.'

Former shadow chancellor Ed Balls, appearing alongside Mr Osborne on ITV tonight, predicted 'another general election soon'.

Ed Miliband, who stood down as Labour leader following election defeat in 2015, says: 'We know Theresa May can't now negotiate Brexit for Britain because she told us losing a majority would destroy her authority, and it has.'

As the results flowed in, it soon became clear that both Labour and the Tories had gobbled up votes from the smaller parties.

But in defiance of expectations, Ukip support did not appear to have flowed wholesale to Mrs May. Instead the picture was highly localised.

In Newcastle Central, Labour's vote was up 9.9 per cent and the Tories' 5.7 per cent, while Ukip fell 10.9 per cent. That equated to a 2.1 per cent swing from the Conservatives to Labour

But bafflingly, in Houghton & Sunderland South there was 3.5 per cent swing from Labour to Tories.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES IN POLITICS: THERESA MAY'S TUMULTUOUS 12-MONTH TENURE HAS LEFT HER LOOKING WORSE FOR WEAR Theresa May and husband Philip John May enter 10 Downing Street on July 13, 2016 in London (left) after she became the UK's second female Prime Minister after she was selected unopposed by Conservative MPs to be their new party leader. Today, she posed for a far more glum picture looking pale and haggard after a disastrous general election shocked the Conservatives who lost their majority July 13, 2016: Theresa May assumes office as she runs unopposed for the position of leader of the Conservative Party after David Cameron resigned in the wake of the Brexit referendum. July 20: May attended her first Prime Minister's Questions since taking office, then afterwards made her first overseas trip as Prime Minister, visiting Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel January 21, 2017: Following the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President, the White House announced that May would meet the President on 27 January, making her the first foreign leader to meet Trump since he took office on 20 January. She came under intense pressure not to invite her American counterpart for a return visit in the light of his stance on immigration in particular. April 18: May announced that she would call a parliamentary vote to hold an early general election on 8 June, saying that it was the 'only way to guarantee certainty and security for years ahead'. She had previously ruled out an early election on five occasions over nine months. May 18: Unveiling the Conservative manifesto in Halifax on 18 May, May promised a 'mainstream government that would deliver for mainstream Britain'. It proposed to balance the budget by 2025, raise spending on the NHS by £8bn per year and on schools by £4bn per year by 2022, remove the ban on new grammar schools, means-test the winter fuel allowance, replace the state pension 'triple lock' with a 'double lock' and require executive pay to be approved by a vote of shareholders. On Brexit it committed to leaving the single market and customs union while seeking a 'deep and special partnership' and promised a vote in parliament on the final agreement. June 8: The number of Conservative seats fell from 330 to 318 and they were forced to make a deal with the Northern Irish DUP in order to stay in power. Advertisement

In Sunderland Central there was a 2.3 per cent swing towards the Tories, and in Sunderland West the figure was 2.1 per cent. All four were ultra safe seats for Labour.

In Sunderland South there was a 3.5 per cent move from Labour to the Conservatives – the opposite to what the exit poll found. In Sunderland Central there was a 2.3 per cent swing to the Tories.

RECORD 192 FEMALE MPS ARE ELECTED A record high of 192 female MPs have been elected. There were 191 women in the last parliament, accounting for 29.4 per cent of MPs. And that was a big improvement on 2010, when 143 women were elected - at the time a record high. Advertisement

The Conservatives held Swindon North, but their majority was reduced as Labour picked up votes.

The swings raised Tory hopes that they could outperform the exit poll.

But as time went on, it became clear that they had not won any of the crucial seats - like Darlington or Wrexham - they needed to secure an overall majority.

They also lost key battlegrounds like Bury North and Enfield Southgate.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd survived by the skin of her teeth in Hastings, winning by 346 votes after a full recount. But Canterbury fell to Labour for the first time in a century.

London was a horrorshow for the Conservatives as the Remain-backing city turned on a slew of MPs.

Education Secretary Justine Greening only just managed to hang on in Putney, and Treasury minister Jane Ellison lost in Battersea after a 10 per cent swing to Labour.

Ruth Davidson inspired a huge surge for the Tories north of the border that effectively saved the party from an even worse election night

The shock exit poll flew in the face of research during the campaign that consistently gave the Tories a big lead

Labour's Bridget Phillipson won the Houghton & Sunderland South seat in one of the first results to declare, as ominous signs emerged for the Tories

Sunderland is traditionally one of the earliest seats to declare its results. It is a safe Labour constituency

Former chancellor George Osborne , pictured acting as a pundit for ITV alongside former political foe Ed Balls last night, said the forecast appeared to be 'catastrophic' for the Tories

In total eight minister have been ousted, including Cabinet Office minister Ben Gummer from Ipswich, Gavin Barwell from Croydon Central, Nicola Blackwood from Oxford West, Rob Wilson from Reading East, Simon Kirby from Brighton Kempton, Edward Timpson from Crewe and Nantwich, and James Wharton from Stockton South.

CURTICE'S EXIT POLL PROVES RIGHT AGAIN The exit poll commissioned by the BBC, Sky and ITV is a vast, secretive exercise overseen by elections expert Professor John Curtice. It was carried out by NOP/Ipsos MORI and asked 30,450 people at 144 polling stations how they voted in today's general election - far more than the normal 1,000 person sample. The data was all filtered back to an election centre in London. In recent elections exit polls have been close to the result - getting it almost exactly right in 2001, 2005 and 2010. The exit poll stunned Westminster in 2015 by showing David Cameron as on course for victory after a campaign thought to have been neck and neck. Historically the record is more mixed. In 1992 it pointed to a hung parliament, but the result was a slim Tory majority. In October 1974, the exit poll predicted a majority of 132 for Harold Wilson - he actually secured a majority of 3. There was no exit poll after the EU referendum last year - one of the reasons the final result was a shock. Advertisement

Mrs May called the election seven weeks ago while enjoying record-breaking advantages and was never thought to be behind during the campaign.

The loss of seats will raise immediate questions about who is best placed to take the country forward.

There could now be days or even weeks of political horse-trading before the final form of the next government is settled.

With 650 MPs in Parliament, 326 seats are needed for an absolute majority in the House of Commons.

But in practice, a working majority requires just 320 MPs, as the Speaker does not vote and Sinn Fein has so far declined to take up its seats.

Mrs May would be able to pass this crucial figure with the support of the DUP but the Ulster party will demand significant concessions in return for propping up her administration.

The Brexit-supporting party has boosted its number to 10 with two gains, giving it a potentially pivotal role.

If that cannot be made to work, Mr Corbyn could seek a 'rainbow coalition' with other parties like the Lib Dems, SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Green Party's sole MP in an effort to secure numbers.

But in sharp contrast to 2010, a whole series of parties have already forsworn any involvement in a formal coalition.

Other arrangements short of a coalition could involve a 'supply and confidence' agreement under which smaller parties would pledge to back the Government's budget and programme without taking up ministerial positions in the new administration.

Failing those options, the Tories or Labour could attempt to form a minority government and win support on a vote-by-vote basis.

The first big deadline is the Queen's Speech on June 19, when the sovereign will unveil a new legislative programme.

Key Brexit events that have delivered a hung parliament May 2009 - Cameron withdraws from grouping in European parliament As the Conservative leader launched his campaign for the election, the Tories held their final meetings in Strasbourg as part of the EPP-ED grouping. All Conservative candidates had signed a form agreeing to join a different centre-right grouping after the election, allowing them to leave the fiercely pro-European EPP-ED group. It was criticised at the time as a sign that the Conservatives were drifting away from Europe and becoming isolated. As the Conservative leader launched his campaign for the election, the Tories held their final meetings in Strasbourg as part of the EPP-ED grouping January 2013 - Cameron lays the groundwork for the Brexit Referendum Cameron made trailblazing speech at Bloomberg about the future of the European Union. He told the crowd: 'The map of global influence is changing before our eyes. And these changes are already being felt by the entrepreneur in the Netherlands, the worker in Germany, the family in Britain.' While Cameron wasin favour of the remaining in the EU, in the speech he clearly expressed his belief that the the institution needed to be reformed. Cameron made trailblazing speech at Bloomberg about the future of the European Union May 2015 - Cameron stormed to victory in the 2015 General Election During May's 2017 election campaign, after a series of disastrous manifesto promises support for May starts to dwindle Conservatives outperformed the exit polls and gained 331 seats. Only once before in recent history had an incumbent government increased its majority - and that was Mrs Thatcher in her prime in the 1980s. In his manifesto the Prime Minister had included a promise of a referendum on Europe – not expecting to win a majority and having to deliver on it. February 2016 - The referendum campaign was launched Cameron announced that the Government would recommend that the UK should remain in the EU, but allowed ministers to vote and campaign in whatever way they saw fit. The Tories were the most split party with 185 MPs declaring they would vote remain and 138 backing leave. Big Conservative names, such as Boris Johnson, Zac Goldsmith and Michael Gove, throwing their support behind the leave vote gave the campaign weight. June 2016 - Britain votes to leave the EU On referendum night even the faces of the leave campaign, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, did not believe they would win. As the counting began Farage even told reporters that he had heard remain would 'edge it'. But, by 3am it became clear that outside London the leave vote was stronger than most had imagined. June 2016 - Cameron quits When the results came in Cameron was toppled, and the question everyone was asking was who would succeed him? Boris was the obvious choice, but when Gove appeared to stab his campaigning ally in the back, the paving was laid for Home Secretary May to succeed as PM. July 2016 - May becomes Prime Minister Business owner Gina Miller (pictured) led the High Court campaign against Brexit After Angela Leadsom withdrew from the the Conservative Party leadership race, May was elected leader of the party. Despite supporting remain during the referendum, May adopts a hard Brexit stance, suggesting she will remove the UK from the free market. November 2016 - High Court Brexit battle The High Court of Justice rules that Parliament has to legislate before the Government can invoke Article 50. The Brexit spirit remains strong and the group bringing court action, led by business owner Gina Miller, are branded 'remoaners'. March 2017 -Article 50 Triggered The Government fights further court action and May triggers Article 50. April 2017 - Election called May's refusal to take part in live television debates lead rivals to brand her 'scared' With the Labour party seemingly in turmoil while being led by ultra left-wing Jeremy Corbyn May announces an election, despite promises she would not call one. She is some 20 points ahead of Corbyn in most opinion polls and the Conservatives hope that the party can win up to 50 more seats, strengthening May's Brexit negotiating position. April - June 2017 - Support for May starts to dwindle After a series of disastrous manifesto promises, including the dementia tax, a reversal of the fox hunting ban and the removal of free school meals support for May starts to dwindle. Her refusal to take part in live television debates lead rivals to brand her 'scared'. Advertisement

Even though Brexit talks are looming and the timetable for getting a deal is fixed, the nation could be forced to head back to the polls within months.

There has already been a major backlash about Mrs May's campaign - which was widely regarded as the party's worst since 2001.

CENTURY OF TORY RULE IN CANTERBURY IS OVER The snap election caused a stir in Canterbury today after a non-Conservative MP was elected to the seat for the first time in 100 years. The constituency as it is known today was formed in 1918 after the narrow parliamentary borough (which existed from 1295) was widened to form the Canterbury County constituency. Prior to this, Canterbury had been under Conservative control since 1841. Between 1295 and 1841, the seat was held by both the Conservatives, Whig and the Liberal Democrats. Ronald McNeill was the first Conservative MP to hold the seat of the newly-formed Canterbury county seat. From then, it was classed as a Tory 'safe' seat. More recently, Sir Julian Brazier was elected as the MP for Canterbury in 1987 and has held the seat for the past 30 years. However, today Labour candidate Rosie Duffield was elected as the MP for the constituency by a tiny margin of just 187 votes. Advertisement

The Conservative manifesto backfired after measures to curb costs of social care were branded a 'Dementia Tax', forcing Mrs May to perform a painful public U-turn.

There was also significant fallout from the PM's decision to refuse to take part in televised debates.

Meanwhile, she was ridiculed for her robotic repetition of the phrase 'strong and stable' and refusal to answer questions directly.

Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn was seen to have performed above expectations, with the Labour manifesto being relatively well received and the leader even managing to dress more smartly.

As a result the polls narrowed dramatically over the course of the past three weeks, with some showing the gap down to as little as a single point.

But Tories had pinned their hopes on the veteran left-winger's track record of supporting the IRA during the 1980s, refusal to back the nuclear deterrent, and soft stance on terrorism continued to dog him.

There were also a series of car-crash interviews by shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, ending when he was forced to sideline her from the post citing 'illness'.

Just yesterday a final model produced by Lord Ashcroft suggested Tory support has 'hardened' in recent days and Mrs May was on course for a majority of 96.

This would have been a substantial increase on the majority of 12 seats the Tories got in the 2015 election.

The latest figures from Lord Ashcroft were based on surveys carried out on Tuesday and Wednesday which showed that Tory supporters indicated that they were more likely to go out and vote than they had in previous surveys.

Mrs May shocked the the nation when she called the snap election in a surprise speech on the steps of no 10 in April.

She described the election as the most important in her lifetime and stressed that only she can be trusted to stand up to Brussels and deliver Brexit.

But the campaign was overshadowed by the terror attacks in Manchester and London.

Mr Corbyn has claimed that he has changed the face of British politics by putting forward a tax and spend manifesto which exerts said is the most left-wing in the party's history.

Former YouGov chief Peter Kellner (pictured right) initially raised doubts about whether the exit poll was right but it ended up being very close to the final result

MAY LED A 'DREADFUL' CAMPAIGN, SAYS EX MINISTER Former Conservative minister Anna Soubry (pictured on the BBC this morning) led the charge against Theresa May Former Conservative minister Anna Soubry led the charge against the embattled Theresa May this morning as she condemned a 'dreadful' Tory campaign. Ms Soubry slammed the Tory campaign for sending out negative messages on key policies like free school meals and social care. Ms Soubry added: 'Theresa did pit her mark on this campaign and she takes responsibility, she always does and I know she will, for the running of the campaign as well. 'It was a tightly knit group and it was her group who ran this campaign' Criticising the Conservative manifesto, Ms Soubry said: 'When you talk about the changes we're going to make to school lunches, you start with the plan that says children from poorer families will now get two free meals a day, you don't start from the basis that some children will lose a free school meal. 'All the way along those of messaging were appalling. And then you had the change of heart on social care deeply flawed Theresa May. 'She didn't look the strong and stable leader Prime Minister and leader she said she was and that was a very difficult and very serious blow in terms of her own credibility.' Advertisement

Brexit is at risk: Farage warns UK faces second referendum

Nigel Farage today warned Britain is 'staring down the barrel' of a second Brexit referendum if Jeremy Corbyn pulls off an unlikely election victory.

The former Ukip leader claimed the mission of getting Britain out of the EU could prove to be 'unfinished business'.

Mr Farage told the BBC he was reluctant to return to the political front lines but that he was prepared to do so if needed to defend Brexit.

Ukip's vote evaporated tonight as the results emerged but split between Labour and the Tories in defiance of expectations it would flood to Mrs May.

Brexit talks are due to begin in Brussels in just 10 days time.

If Labour do seize power, they plan to scrap all the work done on Mrs May's Brexit mission and push for a softer deal on quitting the EU.

Nigel Farage (pictured in London tonight) vowed to make a shock return to the political front line if Jeremy Corbyn pulls off an unlikely election victory

Mr Farage told the BBC: 'What a huge error to pick a Remainer to lead a Brexit party at a Brexit election.

'Massive mistake, but I think that if we do get Corbyn coalition then Brexit is in some trouble.'

Asked whether he would return to the fray if Brexit was in trouble, Mr Farage added: 'I would have absolutely no choice but to do exactly that.'

He added: 'He's not going to be able to build a government on his own, but if we get a coalition with the SNP and whoever else we may well be looking down the barrel of a second referendum.'

He added: 'I think let's say the other result happens, May scrapes through with a majority or forms a minority government, I'm not sure her credibility is going to be very strong in Brussels.

'The timetable, whatever happens here, is likely to get pushed back.'