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2225: Peter Mandelson, Harriet Harman and other desperate Labour spokesmen are talking about electoral reform in order to woo the Liberal Democrats in the event of a hung parliament. What a disaster it will be for the United Kingdom if we end up with a Lib - Lab coallition government. Let's hope the Tories make it to 326.
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2225: BBC - ITV - SKY NOP / MORI Exit Poll
Conservatives: 307 (+97)
Labour: 255 (-94)
Liberal Democrats: 59 (-3)
Others: 29 (0)
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2253: Houghton and Sunderland South first to declare: Con: 8147 (21%, up 5%), Lab: 19137 (50%, down 12%), Lib Dem: 5292 (14%, down 1%). Swing to Conservatives 8.4% - if this swing is repeated across the country, Conservatives will have overall majority.
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2325: Washington and Sunderland West second to declare: Con: 8157 (22%, up 7%), Lab: 19615 (53%, down 16%), Lib Dem: 6382 (17%, up 1%). A MASSIVE swing of 11.6% to the Conservatives. 11.6% is greater than the swing to Labour that Tony Blair achieved in 1997. Time to get a coffee with a big grin on my face. Fingers crossed that the voting pattern seen so far is repeated in the Tory target marginal seats.
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2341: Sunderland Central third to declare. This seat is considered a wildcard Tory target seat - i.e. Tories are considered unlikely to win it (would require a 12.8% swing). Result: Con: 12770 (30%, up 5%), Lab: 19495 (46%, down 5%), Lib Dem: 7191 (17%, no change). Swing to the Tories - only 4.8% - this is hung parliament territory. Not such a big grin on my face now.
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2355: Many polling stations were unable to cope with the voter turnout. Outside some polling stations, queues formed just before 2200 and it has been reported that hundreds of people were unable to vote. Some polling stations extended the voting deadline allowing people to vote after the Exit poll was published, while other stations ran out of ballot papers.
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0018: Tessa Jowell and others say incumbent leader, Gordon Brown, has constitutional right to form coallition government if parliament hung. Ken Clarke says hung parliament could be disaster for country and also says that it would be a travesty if Gordon Brown tries to carry on as PM.
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0026: Getting another coffee before slew of results expected in the next 30 - 60 minutes. I won't be commenting on each result - only the interesting ones!
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0103: First Conservative win - Kingswood (135th on target list) - Conservatives gain from Labour. Swing from Labour to Conservative 9.4% - if repeated across the country, would result in Conservative overall majority. Conservatives (40%), Labour (35%), Liberal Democrats (17%).
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0109: Tory set back - Liberal Democrats hold Torbay (57th on Conservative target list) - Conservatives 19048 (39%), Labour 3231 (7%), Liberal Democrats 23126 (47%). Conservatives fail to win, but have gained other seats that are lower down the target list than 116 (the magic number of additional seats the Tories require to secure an overall majority).
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0127: Downing Street sources say that Gordon Brown will try to form a coallition government if parliament hung.
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0129: David Blunkett predicts Tories will gain slim overall majority.
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0132: A bad result for the Lib Dems - City of Durham, which is high on the Lib Dems target list, stays in Labour hands: Labour (44%), Conservatives (13%), Liberal Democrats (38%). The swing from Labour to Lib Dems is 0.4%. The recent polls predicting a surge in support for the Lib Dems since the first leaders' debate is failing to materialise.
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0200: Swing from Labour to Conservative currently at 3.7% - Not nearly enough for the Conservatives to win an overall majority. Ben Bradshaw holds Exeter.
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0224: Lembit Opik ousted in Montgomeryshire with a swing from Lib Dem to Conservatives of 13.2%. Also in Wales, Vale of Glamorgan taken by Conservatives with swing of 6.1% from Labour.
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0242: Chris Hulme holds Eastleigh (target seat number 10 on Tory list) - Conservatives (40%), Labour (10%), Liberal Democrat (47%). Conservatives gain Harrogate.
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0255: David Cameron holds Witney. Swing from Lib Dems to Conservatives just over 6%. Cameron says, "Labour government has lost its mandate to govern the country. Conservatives on target to win more seats in this election than any election in the last 80 years. Proud of energetic, positive campaign. This country needs change and good, strong, stable government."
As the outcome of the election is not clear and is not likely to be clear for at least a couple of hours, and having also got up at 5am this morning, I'm now getting a little tired so am going to get a couple of hours kip! Goodnight!
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Wake up Pud. I thought you and Noah were up for a zippo.
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Ah...........I made it to about the same time as you. I was in bed by 2:45 am, but now I'm knackered and we've got customer in I have to help present to now!! 
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0910: Unfortunately "ELECTION RESULTS THROUGH THE NIGHT" became "ELECTION RESULTS UNTIL 3AM". But I'm back now and here are the results as they currently stand with 41 seats left to declare...
Conservatives 288 (+90), Labour 243 (-84), Liberal Democrats 51 (-6). 5.1% swing from Labour to Conservatives.
A hung parliament is now a certainty.
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1229: Conservatives gain Warwick & Leamington from Labour with swing of 8.8% and massive turnout of 84.5%.
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