Conservative MP Crispin Blunt said "the electorate plainly have got it wrong" in the 2017 general election after it became clear Labour was on course to win seats from the Tories.

His comments came after Thursday's exit poll indicated the Conservatives had lost their majority and there would be a hung parliament. The forecast was confirmed in the early hours of Friday morning.

Asked for his reaction to the poll, the Reigate MP told The Surrey Mirror: “Like everyone else I was astonished. Some people say the electorate never get it wrong, clearly they have got it wrong. They've made it clearly tough for any party to form a government."

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BBC political reporter Chris Mason reported Mr Blunt said: "The electorate plainly have got it wrong".

The MP faced a backlash on Twitter, with people describing the comments as "arrogant" and "patronising".

Film producer Michael Berliner said: "Oh dear...condescension and arrogance is what generated this result!"

Another Twitter user said: "Democracy's a real downer when you know you're born to rule."

On Friday Ms May visited Buckingham Palace to seek permission from the Queen to form a government.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) said they had struck a deal with the Conservatives that would work on a vote-by-vote basis. They said they would not form a formal coalition.