The Maddest Moments from the UK Election Results Night

By Sabrina Collier, Mathilde Frot and Craig O'Callaghan

Staying up all night to watch the UK general election results come in is a tradition normally only observed by the most foolhardy and unemployed. As election day drew to a close this year, however, the prospect of staying up to watch the Tories romp to a 100-seat victory didn't seem all that appealing. The only slim hope for Labour supporters was a YouGov poll, published that morning, which was predicting a hung parliament.

all I want in life is for the YouGov election forecast to be accurate

— Abi Wilkinson (@AbiWilks) June 5, 2017

With every other poll predicting a Tory majority, it's fair to say there weren't many people putting their faith in YouGov. Then, at 10pm, the exit poll was announced.

Exit poll got me like #Election2017 pic.twitter.com/kAk06kXbT9

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 8, 2017

The Tory majority? Non-existent. According to the exit poll, we were heading for a hung parliament.

There is a small gang of teenage girls explaining "hung parliament" to each other (and the rest of the tube) in excited squeals and

— Dr Emma Sheppard (@_ESheppard) June 8, 2017

So we all settled in for a long night...

It's gonna be a long bloody night #GeneralElection2017 #hungparliament pic.twitter.com/StES1rZDyx

— Roland Wyn Jones (@JonesRoly) June 8, 2017

While everyone tried to process the news and the first seats began to declare, the BBC studio had to deal with an unwelcome intruder. David Dimbleby, King of election night coverage and consummate professional, dealt with the situation with his usual class.

Dimbleby vs fly pic.twitter.com/0WVua5fGlO

— Esther Webber (@estwebber) June 8, 2017

While, on Channel 4, Labour politician and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell was relishing the opportunity to drop a sick burn in the direction of the Tories.

The fucking boy pic.twitter.com/ZU8qHxE6Uo

— Joe (@bellis_01) June 9, 2017

Many Conservative politicians decided it was much better to remain in a state of denial about the whole thing.

pic.twitter.com/fZDAtabTAu

— The No Show (@The_No_Show) June 9, 2017

It wasn't just the Tories having a bad night. Nick Clegg, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, lost his seat in Sheffield Hallam, to the delight of students who hadn't forgotten his broken promise to cut tuition fees.

Me and my £27k of student debt seeing Nick Clegg may have lost Sheffield Hallam. #GE2017 pic.twitter.com/8mjHM9CzgX

— Tom Carnduff (@TomC_22) June 8, 2017

Labour were celebrating as best as they could...

Worst high 5 of all time...? pic.twitter.com/XyIE5oYt7H

— Dan Hewitt (@danhewittsky) June 9, 2017

By now, Prime Minister Theresa May knew the election wasn't going the way she'd hoped. She at least managed to comfortably hold her own seat, despite challenges from Elmo and an individual known as Lord Buckethead (I promise you, we aren't making this up)

British democracy in one photo pic.twitter.com/S9HIJ1Ynbz

— Guardian politics (@GdnPolitics) June 9, 2017

Lord Buckethead is no new face in politics, and actually enjoyed his best campaign yet.

This is the one election chart you really need this morning pic.twitter.com/3KyO5BcC3t

— Martin Belam (@MartinBelam) June 9, 2017

He wasn't the only novelty candidate trying to make a party leader feel embarrassed. Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron had to put up with a man dressed as a fish finger

In the constituency of Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, 'Mr Fishfinger' won 309 votes. He looks rather pleased #bbcelection #ge2017 pic.twitter.com/ctJzeGSmTt

— BBC Scotland News (@BBCScotlandNews) June 9, 2017

As the sun began to rise, it was clear that the British people had failed to be won over by the strong and stable, hard-Brexit, grammar school, fox-hunting future put forward by Theresa May. The politician who recently claimed to have never done anything naughtier than running through a farmer's field of wheat had made a catastrophic error of judgment.

When you call an election for the banter and wake up to see you played yourself pic.twitter.com/a8WffsEpOc

— Medieval Reactions (@MedievalReacts) June 9, 2017

We're seeing the voters separate the wheat from the chaff tonight. #ElectionDay2017 pic.twitter.com/IVhgFAqNRC

— HannahJane Parkinson (@ladyhaja) June 9, 2017

And a surge in young voters was partly responsible.

Big up the youth vote! #GE17 #GeneralElection17 #hungparliament pic.twitter.com/pjJHKEFUri

— Huenry Hueffman (@HenryHoffman) June 9, 2017

With no clear majority and Brexit negotiations starting a week on Monday, what would happen now?

Can't leave the EU if you can't form a government pic.twitter.com/A06ZCbpxf8

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) June 8, 2017

Nobody seemed quite sure, though for now it seems Theresa May has no plans of standing down as Prime Minister. Instead, the Conservatives will aim to govern the country with support from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Ireland. Their votes, combined with the Conservatives, would give them a majority in the House of Commons. It's safe to say this plan doesn't seem entirely rock solid...

When you've spent 2 years calling Jeremy Corbyn a terrorist sympathiser but now you're wanting the DUP to prop your government up. pic.twitter.com/UpnGXcXWYh

— Dale (@DaleRobertsDR) June 9, 2017

2016: Take back control
2017: Give it to DUP

— Ciaran Jenkins (@C4Ciaran) June 9, 2017

Nevertheless, Theresa May has gone to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen and seek permission to form a new government. Wonder if anyone will beat her to it?

At the palace hoping to get in first and form a govt while the others are dithering pic.twitter.com/bC5cLnzAoV

— Grayson Perry (@Alan_Measles) June 9, 2017