England

General election 2017: Counting under way across England

  • 8 June 2017
BBC
Image caption Counting started less than 10 minutes after the polls closed in Sunderland

Counting is under way after voters cast their ballots in the snap general election called by Theresa May.

Polls closed at 22:00 BST and winners in each constituency will begin to be declared in the early hours of Friday.

There are more than 2,700 candidates vying for 533 seats in England, out of the UK's total of 650.

An exit poll conducted for the BBC, ITV and Sky suggested the Conservatives could be set to be the largest party but could be short of a majority.

Election 2017: Live updates

Election 2017: At a glance

What happens if no-one wins the election?

In the 2015 General Election, there were 3,209 candidates across all the English constituencies, 493 more than have stood this time.

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Image caption Armed police patrol the hall ahead of the General Election count at Silksworth Community Centre in Sunderland

Newcastle Central was first to announce a result ahead of Sunderland - the past winners, as first declarers.

Image copyright Danny Lawson
Image caption Ballot boxes arrived at Kendal Leisure Centre where General Election ballot papers for the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency are being counted.

Polling day: Around England

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Image caption Nuns from Tyburn Convent leave a polling station at St John's Parish Hall, central London

Were these the happiest voters in the country?

These people found something to smile about when they went to the polls.

Image copyright Getty Images/PA/Reuters
Image caption People seemed to enjoy casting their votes in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, South Kensington and Hyde Park

#FirstTimeVoter

First time voters and their proud parents shared the coming of age moment on Twitter.

Image copyright Adrianna Bertola
Image caption Adrianna Bertola tweeted of her excitement at her first visit to the polls
Image copyright Jacob Peat
Image caption Jacob Peat was eager to use his right to vote
Image copyright Kate Khan
Image caption Kate Khan tweeted this picture of her son as he went to cast his first vote

Media scuffle

There was a bit of a to-do between members of the media who were waiting to capture images of Lib Dem leader Tim Farron exiting a polling station in Cumbria.

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Media captionA cameraman and a photographer saw red

Multi-taskers

Some voters took advantage of the polling station's other facilities.

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Image caption At Arundel Lido voters had a splash in the pool
Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption The East Hull Boxing Club in Kingston-Upon-Hull offered both boxing and ballot-boxing
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Image caption Voters enjoyed a juice or coffee at a cafe on Borough High Street
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption While there was something stronger on offer for voters in Christmas Common, Oxfordshire

Photo opportunities

Why not mark the occasion with a picture? These people did.

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Image caption A young woman had her photo taken outside a polling station at Tulse Hill Methodist Church, London
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Image caption A man photographed his dog outside Lillington Gardens Community Centre in Pimlico, London

Dogs (and other animals) at polling stations

Many voters exercised their dogs at the same time as their democracy.

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Image caption A dog waited at a polling station in Howden, north-east England
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Image caption While a pug behaved himself outside in Brighton
Image copyright Google
Image caption Guia, a Labrador rescued from Ecuador, sat patiently in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester
Image copyright WILL OLIVER
Image caption This pooch took a load off at the Anglesea Arms pub polling station in London
Image copyright PA
Image caption Polls aren't just for hounds - horses also accompanied voters to a station in a private house in Bramshill, Hampshire
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Image caption Palmerston, the resident Chief Mouser of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, relaxed on a media stand next to a broadcast camera in Downing Street
Image copyright Charlie Knowles
Image caption Some cats encountered each other at a polling station in Cambourne, Cornwall - while Shelley the tortoise looked underwhelmed
Image copyright Toni Lambert
Image caption And here's a politically-aware hedgehog

Unusual polling stations

Private houses, pubs and even a laundrette were all called into service to act as polling stations.

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Image caption There was a polling station at West Blatchington Windmill near Brighton
Image copyright PA
Image caption The White Horse Inn in Priors Dean, Hampshire, opened early to allow voters in...
Image copyright AFP
Image caption ... while a presiding officer and poll clerk waited for early morning voters at a polling station in a launderette and nail bar in Headington, Oxford
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption A voter arrived at a polling station in a private garage in Coulsdon, south London
Image copyright PA
Image caption Meanwhile, a man leaves a caravan set up for voters on Grange Farm in Garthorpe, Leicestershire

Police at polling stations

The election period saw two acts of horrific brutality disrupt the democratic process, with the Manchester Arena bombing and the London Bridge attack changing the complexion of the campaign.

As a result, people went to their polling station amid heightened security.

Image copyright Reuters
Image caption A police officer stood on duty outside a polling station in Tower Hamlets, London
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption Police officers were also on duty outside a polling station in Sonning, Berkshire
Image copyright Reuters
Image caption Police were on patrol near a polling station in Bradford, West Yorkshire

Leaders casting their votes

Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn, Caroline Lucas, Tim Farron and Paul Nuttall all voted.

Image copyright PA
Image caption Smiles all round for Prime Minister Theresa May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who each cast their vote
Image copyright PA/Reuters
Image caption Ukip leader Paul Nuttall, Green Party leader Caroline Lucas and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron all voted too

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