General Election: The six areas of UK that stayed loyal to Tories during Labour landslide
While the Conservative Party suffered a monumental defeat in the General Election, there were pockets of seats won across six regions of the UK by the early morning.
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The Conservative Party suffered a monumental defeat at the General Election, with seats across the UK falling to Labour in a landslide victory. Tory "big beasts" including Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Gillian Keegan all lost their seats.
Despite the overall wipeout, the Tories held on to seats in Scotland, the North of England, Midlands, East Anglia and South East and South West England. The party looks likely to have enough MPs to form the official Opposition in the next Parliament.
Outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held on to his Richmond (Yorkshire) constituency as expected, while outgoing Chancellor Jeremy Hunt held on in Godalming and Ash, beating the Liberal Democrats into second place in a hard-fought race.
Former home secretary Suella Braverman retained Fareham and Waterlooville, telling the country she was sorry the Conservative Party had stopped listening to the British public.
Robert Jenrick, who served as immigration minister while Mrs Braverman was at the helm at the Home Office, kept hold of Newark.
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Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden won Basildon and Billericay after a recount was held in the Essex seat. He held on by the skin of his teeth, with just 20 votes between Mr Holden and his Labour rival.
Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden held Hertsmere, outgoing Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch won in Essex North West and Sir Iain Duncan Smith held on in Chingford and Woodford Green, thanks in large part to a split in the Labour vote.
Other seats that stayed loyal to the Tories include Stockton West, Fylde, Chester South and Eddisbury, Gainsborough, Romsey and Southampton North, Bexhill and Battle, South Shropshire, North West Norfolk, Mid Norfolk, Huntingdon, Salisbury and South West Wiltshire.
Mr Sunak conceded defeat after holding on to his constituency, telling the country that Friday will see power in the UK change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on both sides.
He apologised to unsuccessful Tory candidates he said had lost despite their tireless efforts.
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Even before all the results had been declared, senior Tories started battling over the party's future and what led to the historic defeat.
Ms Mordaunt said: "Tonight, the Conservative Party has taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it. You can speak all you like of security and freedom, but you can't have either if you are afraid.
"Afraid about the cost of living or accessing healthcare, or whether the responsibility you shoulder will be recognised and rewarded. That fear steals the future, and it only makes the present matter and that is why we lost."
Mrs Braverman said the party had acted as if it was entitled to people's votes regardless of what it did in government.
She added: "We need to learn our lesson because if we don't, bad as tonight has been for my party, we'll have many worse nights to come."
