Live General Election 2010 blog

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06.42: A quick summary of how things stand: Britain left in limbo by poll result

06.25: Morning new arrivals. Boy, did you miss a night of excitement.

Okay, so there may be no overall winner but it was still one to remember.

A little like a tight Test Match heading for a nailbiting draw, this General Election night was filled with twists, turns, false starts, run outs, the lot. And it's not over yet.

For a snapshot of how things have changed, here is the current political map, with a couple of results still to come:

06.22: Some of the latest national headlines on Expressandstar.com: Brown and Cameron battle for power

Angry students blocked ballot boxes

Cameron: Labour has lost mandate

06.15: Don't miss the Express & Star's election special edition, which hits the newstands this morning. For full results, coverage, reaction and analysis, it is all you need to read - just 40p.

06.10: More results: Wolverhampton South West - Con gain from Lab

Paul Uppal Conservative 16,344 40.7 +2.6

Rob Marris Labour 15,653 39.0 -4.5

Robin Lawrence Liberal Democrat 6,430 16.0 +2.5

Amanda Mobberley UK Independence Party 1,487 3.7 +1.2

Raymond Barry Equal Parenting Alliance 246 0.6 +0.6

Majority 691 1.7

Turnout 40,160 67.9 +4.8

Wolverhampton North East - Lab hold

Emma Reynolds Labour 14,448 41.4 -13.3

Julie Rook Conservative 11,964 34.3 +4.7

Colin Ross Liberal Democrat 4,711 13.5 +1.9

Simon Patten British National Party 2,296 6.6 +6.6

Paul Valdmanis UK Independence Party 1,138 3.3 -0.8

Shangara Bhatoe Socialist Labour Party 337 1.0 +1.0

Majority 2,484 7.1

Turnout 34,894 58.8 +3.8

05.50: More photos from the night: General Election 2010 – in pictures

05.30: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "There were cheers and applause for Tory candidate James Morris as the declaration was made that he had claimed the seat for the blues. He has promised to stand up for the people of Halesowen and Rowley Regis, whether they voted for him or not."

05.26: Wolverhampton South East: Lab hold: Pat McFadden Labour 16,505 47.7 -11.9

Ken Wood Conservative 9,912 28.6 +5.7

Richard Whitehouse Liberal Democrat 5,207 15.0 +2.7

Gordon Fanthom UK Independence Party 2,675 7.7 +2.5

Sudhir Handa Independent 338 1.0 +1.0

Majority 6,593 19.0

Turnout 34,637 57.3 +5.0

05.25: Mark Mudie, Stourbridge: "The Tories always expected to take Stourbridge but as the scale of Margot James's majority was revealed party sources were clearly delighted. She overturned Lynda Waltho's majority of 407 with ease, securing a comfortable victory margin of more than 5,000 votes which will give the Tories hope of keeping the seat next time."

05.10: Two Birmingham holds for Labour: Birmingham Edgbaston - Lab hold

Gisela Stuart (Labour) 16894

Deirdre Alden (Conservative) 15620

Roger Harmer (Liberal Democrats) 6387

Trevor Lloyd (BNP) 1196

Greville Warwick (UKIP) 732

Phil Simpson (Green) 469

Harry Takhar (Impact Party) 146

Charith Fernando (The Christian Party) 127

Turnout: 60.75%

Birmingham Hodge Hill - Lab hold

Liam Byrne (Labour) 22077

Tariq Khan (Liberal Democrat) 11775

Shailesh Parekh (Conservative) 4936

Richard Lumby (BNP) 2333

Waheed Rafiq (UKIP) 714

Peter Johnson (Social Democratic Party) 637

Turnout: 57.17%

04.55: Walsall North: Lab hold

David Winnick, Labour, 13385

Helyn Clack, Conservative, 12395

Nadia Fazal, Lib Dem, 4754

Chris Woodall, BNP, 2930

Liz Hazell, UKIP, 1737

Peter Smith, Democratic Labour, 842

Babar Shakir, Christian, 144

Turnout: 55.99%

04.50: Walsall South: Lab hold

Valerie Vaz, Labour, 16211

Richard Hunt, Conservative, 14456

Dr Murli Sinha, Lib Dem, 5880

Derek Bennett, UKIP, 3449

Gulzaman Khan, Christian, 482

Mohammed Mulla, Independent, 404

Turnout: 63.4%

04.36: Cannock Chase: Conservative gain

Aidan Burley Conservative 18271

Jon Hunt Liberal Democrat 7732

Sue Woodward Labour 15076

Royston Jenkins, Get Snouts Out of the Trough, 259

Malcolm McKenzie UKIP 1580

Terence Majorowicz BNP 2168

Ron Turville Independent 380

Mike Walters Independent 93

Turnout 61.26%

04.25: West Bromwich West: Labour hold: Adrian Bailey Labour 16,263 45.0 -8.7

Andrew Hardie Conservative 10,612 29.3 +6.6

Sadie Smith Liberal Democrat 4,336 12.0 +1.8

Russ Green British National Party 3,394 9.4 -1.5

Mac Ford UK Independence Party 1,566 4.3 +1.8

Majority 5,651 15.6

Turnout 36,171 55.6 +4.0

04.20: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "A "computer malfunction" has been blamed for delaying the count here as 47 more postal votes were received than had been recorded, meaning they all had to be counted out again."

04.19: West Bromwich East: Lab hold: Tom Watson Labour 17,657 46.5 -9.2

Alistair Thompson Conservative 10,961 28.9 +6.1

Ian Garrett Liberal Democrat 4,993 13.2 +0.8

Terry Lewin British National Party 2,205 5.8 -0.6

Mark Cowles English Democrats 1,150 3.0 +3.0

Steve Grey UK Independence Party 984 2.6 +0.9

Majority 6,696 17.6

Turnout 37,950 60.4 +2.2

04.18: CON GAIN Chris Kelly takes Dudley South from Labour. Chris Kelly Conservative 16,450 43.1 +8.1

Rachel Harris Labour 12,594 33.0 -11.0

Jonathan Bramall Liberal Democrat 5,989 15.7 +3.0

Philip Rowe UK Independence Party 3,132 8.2 +5.0

Majority 3,856 10.1

Turnout 38,165 63.0 +2.8

04.17: The results are now flying in: Birmingham Erdington: Lab hold: Jack Dromey Labour 14,869 41.8 -11.1

Robert Alden Conservative 11,592 32.6 +9.7

Ann Holtom Liberal Democrat 5,742 16.2 +0.3

Kevin McHugh British National Party 1,815 5.1 +0.4

Maria Foy UK Independence Party 842 2.4 +0.0

Tony Tomkins Independent 240 0.7 +0.7

Terry Williams National Front 229 0.6 -0.6

Timothy Gray Christian Party 217 0.6 +0.6

Majority 3,277 9.2

Turnout 35,546 53.5 +5.1

04.14: Dudley South is due any minute.

04.09: Wyre Forest: Tory gain from Independent: Mark Garnier Conservative 18,793 36.9 +7.8

Richard Taylor Independent Community and Health Concern 16,115 31.7 -6.9

Nigel Knowles Labour 7,298 14.3 -8.2

Neville Farmer Liberal Democrat 6,040 11.9 +10.6

Michael Wrench UK Independence Party 1,498 2.9 +0.6

Gordon Howells British National Party 1,120 2.2 +2.2

Majority 2,678 5.3

Turnout 50,864 66.8 +2.8

04.07: Mark Mudie, Stourbridge: "If the bundles being lined up on the table are anything to go by, it looks like Lynda Waltho's stint as Stourbridge MP will end here in a few minutes."

04.06: Sutton Coldfield: Andrew Mitchell Conservative 27,303 54.0 +1.4

Robert Pocock Labour 10,298 20.4 -5.5

Richard Brighton Liberal Democrat 9,117 18.0 +1.4

Robert Grierson British National Party 1,749 3.5 +3.5

Edward Siddall-Jones UK Independence Party 1,587 3.1 -1.8

Joe Rooney Green 535 1.1 +1.1

Majority 17,005 33.6

Turnout 50,589 67.9 +5.2

04.05: Aldridge Brownhills: Tory hold: Richard Shepherd Conservative 22,913 59.3 +11.1

Ashiq Hussain Labour 7,657 19.8 -12.9

Ian Jenkins Liberal Democrat 6,833 17.7 +5.8

Karl MacNaughton Green 847 2.2 +2.2

Sue Gray Christian Party 394 1.0 +1.0

Majority 15,256 39.5

Turnout 38,644 65.1 +1.6

04.00: Stone result: Bill Cash Conservative 23,890 50.6 +2.2

Christine Tinker Liberal Democrat 10,598 22.4 +3.8

Jo Lewis Labour 9,770 20.7 -9.0

Andrew Illsley UK Independence Party 2,481 5.3 +2.0

Damon Hoppe Green 490 1.0 +1.0

Majority 13,292 28.1

Turnout 47,229 70.5 +3.5

Swing: 0.8% From CON to LD

03.50: Video: Michael Fabricant reflects on his Lichfield win: Lichfield result – Fabricant holds for Tories

03.26: Birmingham Ladywood: Lab hold: Shabana Mahmood Labour 19,950 55.7 +3.0

Ayoub Khan Liberal Democrat 9,845 27.5 -1.9

Nusrat Ghani Conservative 4,277 11.9 +3.5

Christopher Booth UK Independence Party 902 2.5 -3.0

Peter Beck Green 859 2.4 +2.1

Majority 10,105 28.2

Turnout 35,833 48.7 +3.5

03.24: Mark Mudie, Stourbridge: "The room is coming alive after a lengthy verification. All the candidates are out either watching as the votes are bundled or chatting with supporters. A result could be half an hour away."

03.18: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "The counters are now frantically dividing up the ballot papers and rolling them into bundles for each party. Things seem to be happening quite quickly with minimal conversation going on as everyone concentrates - the counters have even put aside the bags of sweets that had been passed around to help keep sugar levels high. The overall turnout of 65.7 (including postal votes) is up on 2005's turnout by almost 3 per cent."

03.16: Andrew Turton, Dudley South: "Election result in Dudley South expected within 30 minutes. Remain ballots are being counted. All candidates have met in the middle of the floor for a talk with election officials. None look confident at this stage."

03.06: Twitter declaration claim. Labour have won Edgbaston, according to @WaseemZaffar

03.04: Conservatives gain Stafford: Jeremy Lefroy Conservative 22,047 43.9 +4.7

David Kidney Labour 16,587 33.0 -10.2

Barry Stamp Liberal Democrat 8,211 16.3 +2.0

Roy Goode UK Independence Party 1,727 3.4 +0.1

Roland Hynd British National Party 1,103 2.2 +2.2

Mike Shone Green 564 1.1 +1.1

Majority 5,460 10.9

Turnout 50,239 71.2 +4.2

03.00: Dan Wainwright, Wolverhampton: "The count is now fully under way. Wolv South West Tory candidate Paul Uppal arrived at 2.30pm. He headed straight for the count without commenting. The rumour is that we will not get a result before 4.30am." Meanwhile, David Cameron holds his Witney seat.

02.49: Alex Campbell at Cannock Chase count: "The candidates have been keeping tabs on the counting. It looks like it is neck and neck between Labour's Sue Woodward and Conservative Aidan Burley. One table had Burley ahead by just 89 votes. Another had Woodward ahead by 30."

02.45: Lichfield, Tory hold: Michael Fabricant Conservative 28,048 54.4 +5.7

Ian Jackson Liberal Democrat 10,365 20.1 +4.2

Steve Hyden Labour 10,230 19.8 -12.4

Karen Maunder UK Independence Party 2,920 5.7 +2.4

Majority 17,683 34.3

Turnout 51,563 71.0 +4.3

02.42: Mark Mudie, Stourbridge: "The number of votes cast has been verified and counters are now busy putting the white forms into brown folders marked with the candidates' names. As expected, most are going in those marked "James" or "Waltho". Turnout was slightly up on 2005, at 67.4%, up from 64.7%. It means 46,932 votes were cast out of a possible 69,637."

02.38: Alex Campbell at Cannock Chase count, Chase Leisure Centre: "First count here is well under way but there is a growing sense that a recount is on the cards."

02.37: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "The Halesowen count has finally started after almost four-and-a-half hours of verification. The coffee and Red Bull has started to flow as estimates say we're looking at a 4.30am announcement. "

02.34:

With a handful of results in so far, the Expressandstar.com map is starting to take shape.

There is still a long way to go, however.

02.28: Elsewhere in the region, Tamworth, number 56 on the Tory hit list, goes from Labour to Conservative with a 9.5% swing.

02.24: Lembit Opik's exit from the Montgomeryshire seat is confirmed, following a Tory victory: Glyn Davies Conservative 13,976 41.3 +13.8

Lembit Opik Liberal Democrat 12,792 37.8 -12.5

Heledd Fychan Plaid Cymru 2,802 8.3 +1.3

Nick Colbourne Labour 2,407 7.1 -5.2

David Rowlands UK Independence Party 1,128 3.3 +0.4

Milton Ellis National Front 384 1.1 +1.1

Bruce Lawson Independent 324 1.0 +1.0

Majority 1,184 3.5

Turnout 33,813 69.4 +3.1

02.20: Reports from our sister paper Shropshire Star suggest Lib Dem media star Lembit Opik, of Cheeky Girl dating fame, may be about to lose his Montgomeryshire seat: Election 2010: See the result unfolding here

02.08: Tory hold: Gavin Williamson Conservative 26,834 53.2 +2.5

Kevin McElduff Labour 10,244 20.3 +0.3

Sarah Fellows Liberal Democrat 8,427 16.7 +3.3

Mike Nattrass UK Independence Party 2,753 5.5 -4.7

David Bradnock British National Party 1,928 3.8 +3.8

Andrew Morris Independent 254 0.5 +0.5

Majority 16,590 32.9

Turnout 50,440 68.7 +31.1

02.06: The Wrekin: Tory hold: Mark Pritchard Conservative 21,922 47.7 +5.6

Paul Kalinauckas Labour 12,472 27.1 -12.1

Ali Cameron-Daw Liberal Democrat 8,019 17.4 +2.4

Malcolm Hurst UK Independence Party 2,050 4.5 +0.9

Susan Harwood British National Party 1,505 3.3 +3.3

Majority 9,450 20.6

Turnout 45,968 70.1 +4.2

02.05: Andrew Turton, Dudley South: "Turnout for Dudley South is 63.1 per cent - up from 60.2 per cent in 2005. Total votes including postal ballots is 38,231 this time out. In 2005, 39,276 votes were cast. Number is higher due to a boundary change. Counting of general election ballots now taking place."

01.59: First result of the night from the margins of our region: Full result from Telford where Labour's David Wright has held his seat. He polled 15,974 ahead of Conservative candidate Tom Biggins on 14,996. Mr Wright's majority has fallen from 5,406 to just 978.

Other results were: Phil Bennion, Liberal Democrats, 6,399, Denis Allen, UKIP, 2,428, Phil Spencer, BNP, 1,513.

Turnout was 63.6 per cent.

01.57: Andrew Turton, Dudley South: "Conservative Chris Kelly comes over for a chat. He says: "It has been a long campaign, exhilarating, exciting as well as being quite tiring. I've had a fantastic team of helpers from teenagers to the more senior members of the team who have played their part. The people having been saying they are ready for change.""

01.51: Alex Campbell at Cannock Chase count, Chase Leisure Centre: "Turnout was just over 61%, up from 57.4% in 2005. That is the equivalent of around 45,000 voters completing ballot papers."

01.43: We are getting reports from Wolverhampton Civic Hall of police being called over a reported assault outside, allegedly involving political party members. More to follow. A police van is still parked outside.

01.42: Andrew Turton, Dudley South: "Maybe unsurprisingly Chris Kelly is locked in discussions with the campaign team as is Rachel Harris as the two main candidates know within minutes they will discover who has scooped the prize"

01.39: More photos from the night: General Election 2010 – in pictures

01.35: Andrew Turton, Dudley South: "Next into the ring is Liberal Democrat candidate Jon Bramall complete with bright yellow rosette and smile on his face. He says it had been a "thoroughly enjoyable campaign" and has definitely seen signs of the "Nick Clegg effect" while talking to voters. "Personally I have loved the campaign and getting out to speak to people," he said. "This is a Labour seat and has been targeted by the Tories. We have held our own and if we could maintain our vote then I would be ecstatic." As we speak, the final candidate Chris Kelly for the Conservative makes his entrance to the hall flanked by yet more blue rosettes."

01.31: Alex Campbell at Cannock Chase count, Chase Leisure Centre: "Aidan Burley appears to have a speech written for every eventuality, hence his earlier scribbling."

01.27: Mark Mudie, Stourbridge: "Labour candidate Lynda Waltho, the sitting MP, arrived just after 1.15am. If she's worried about losing her seat she is putting a brave face on it. She said: "I'm feeling bouyant. We've had a great campaign. We had a plan and we followed it through. It's too early to say how I'll do." She was dressed in funereal black apart from a red scarf thrown round her neck and Labour rosette. Moments after arriving Labour councillor Tim Crumpton threw a consoling arm around Mrs Waltho as he showed her a piece of paper. Cllr Crumpton has been monitoring the votes as they have been counted. It looks like he was delivering some bad news."

01.17: Alex Campbell at Cannock Chase count, Chase Leisure Centre: "Conservative candidate Aidan Burley has been sat at the back of the hall frantically scribbling notes. Maybe he thinks has something important to write."

01.12: Reader comment from Rusky: "Seems a bit of a farce with seemingly thousands of the electorate unable to vote! As David Dimbleby said "It's a disgrace"."

01.10: @Dan Wainwright, Wolverhampton count, via Twitter: "Still awaiting first wton result, likely to be wton se. Mos candidates here. Wton sw Tory Paul Uppal not yet @ExpressandStar"

01.07: The Press Association says that Downing Street sources say the prime minister will try to form a coalition government in the event of a hung parliament. Meanwhile, Kingswood in Gloucestershire is the Conservatives' first gain of the night. Mixed reports about the Tory swing continue to come out.

01.02: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "The buzz has died down somewhat as ballot boxes continue to be emptied onto the counters' tables. While Conservative candidate James Morris chats and laughs with wife Anna and supporters, UKIP's Derek Baddeley has settled down to read Barak Obama's autobiography."

00.58: More fashion news from Mark Mudie, Stourbridge: "We are in for a long night here at Stourbridge. No result expected until 3.30am at the earliest. While she's not expected to challenge Margot James for votes, UKIP candidate Maddy Westrop has gone for it in the fashion stakes, appearing in a striking red dress and navy blue high heels. She said she didn't expect to do well but did not think there would be a decisive national result. She added that the three main parties had ignored the main issue at this election, namely the national deficit."

00.57: Andrew Turton, Dudley South: "Labour candidate Rachel Harris enters the building but doesn't appear very talkative at the moment as the Red team gathers in a huddle to talk strategy. Strangely there are on the opposite side of the hall to the Tories with the Lib Dems in the middle!"

00.56: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "Rumours that some Halesowen polling stations closed their doors early are "inconceivable", Dudley Council has insisted. Chief executive John Polychronakis has said everyone who wanted to vote was able to do so. There's still talk of polling stations in Birmingham and up north turning people away due to long queues."

00.55: Have you got pictures or stories about queueing to vote or being turned away? Did you get the chance to vote? Send us your stories and photos. Share your news, photos, audio clips and videos with the Express & Star

00.52: Alex Campbell at Cannock Chase count, Chase Leisure Centre: "All three of the main parties here are expecting a recount. All three are saying it's too close to call from the early samples."

00.50: Video: Paddy Ashdown reacts to election exit poll

00.45: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "Independent candidate Derek Thompson, who only decided to stand four weeks ago, said he's disappointed that he hasn't seen the levels of support he was getting on the doorsteps reflected in the ballot papers he has seen.

"I stood as a protest against party politics," he added. "I wanted to give people the chance to vote for someone who wasn't tied in to a party. Whoever wins tonight, we'll be getting the same old lies and false promises.""

00.40: More photos in the gallery: General Election 2010 – in pictures

00.35: Andrew Turton, Dudley South: "Tension appears to be getting to all sides as nervous supporters stand over counters busy sorting through votes. One competition the Torys at least seem to have won in Dudley South is the sheer number of rosettes around the hall. There is a sea of blue sweeping through Brierley Hill compared to Labour and Lib Dem - but will it stay that way..."

00.25: Mark Mudie at Stourbridge: "Tory candidate Margot James is in the building and she made quite an entrance. She is wearing a colourful patterned dress mixing pinks, purples and whites. Asked if she was dressed for a celebration she said: "It's a bit premature for that. I've only just got here and I haven't had a chance to look over any of the boxes being counted yet. Obviously the national picture is very promising and I'm delighted that the country seems to be voting for the change that we are offering.""

00.20: Laura Blyth, South Staffs: "The overall turnout here was 68.9%, roughly as expected."

00.19: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "Sue Hayman for Labour has just arrived, accompanied by former MP Sylvia Heal appropriately-attired in a red blazer. She said she has been out on the campaign trail until the last minute. "It was always going to be tough as this one of the key marginal seats," she added. "The campaign has gone very well however and we're feeling positive. It's a great campaign team and I've enjoyed it.""

00.13: Andrew Turton, Dudley South: "As midnight strikes, first candidate to arrive at the count UKIP's Philip Rowe says he is hopefully "several" UKIP candidates with wins sits tonight. "For me it has been a difficult campaign because we just don't have the finance to compete with the main parties. If I do not win tonight, and I'm not expecting to, I hope the new MP will put Europe on the agenda." Mr Rowe also wanted to pass on his thoughts to Nigel Farage following his earlier plane crash."

00.10: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "UKIP candidate Derek Baddeley showed up a few minutes ago wearing a striking purple cord jacket which he says he chose especially for the occasion. "I've been getting very positive feedback on the campaign trail," he said. "A lot of people are concerned with immigration and seem to welcome our five year moratorium on further immigration from anywhere. Of course that would be difficult while we're in the EU but our policy is to leave it." Meanwhile, Sue Hayman for Labour has yet to show up but her supporters say she is resting after campaigning and will be here shortly with former MP Syliva Heal in tow."

00.04: Laura Blyth at the South Staffordshire count: "There has been an 85% turnout on postal votes here. 8064 were issued and 6859 were returned. There is a 65% turnout provisionally expected at polling stations. The count is about to start, with a 2am announcement expected."

00.01am: Mark Mudie at Stourbridge: "Re Lynda Waltho's Twitter "GnT" comment below. She may need a stiff drink as she tries to defend a majority of just 407. The Tories need a swing of less than two per cent to win here and the mood among the faithful is expectant."

11.55pm: Lynda Waltho, Stourbridge Labour MP, on Twitter: "SHOWER AND GnT TIME. SIGNING OFF NOW TWEEPS! x"

11.53: Dan Wainwright, Wolverhampton: "It would now appear that all the major players are assembled at the Civic Hall. Emma Reynolds, the Labour candidate for Wolv North East is walking around the room and appears in good spirits. Over the other side, for Wolv South West, Labour's Rob Marris is chatting contentedly to some supporters while Robin Lawrence, for Lib Dems, is walking between tables closely watching the count. Paul Uppal does not appear to be in the room."

11.52: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "Tory campaigners watching over the ballot papers say things are looking good at the moment but "won't count their chickens". If James Morris clinches the seat, it will not only make him the first Conservative MP in Halesowen and Rowley Regis, he will be the first Tory MP in Sandwell since the borough was formed 36 years ago."

11.49:Some more photos added to the gallery: General Election 2010 – in pictures

11.46: Mark Mudie at Stourbridge: "Lib Dem candidate Chris Bramall has arrived. He said: "I'm very optimistic. The turnout here is very good, which is good news for me. I've been out leafleting today but I have had about half an hour's sleep to prepare tonight. I don't really believe in exit polls, especially when there's a large postal vote." His agent Simon Hanson added: "There were 9,400 registered postal voters in this constituency, which is outside any exit poll." Still no sign of the Labour and Tory candidates."

11.37: Lichfield Tory MP Michael Fabricant is upbeat on Twitter: "The swing in the 2 Sunderland seats declared so far - if repeated nationally - would give the Conservatives an overall majority."

11.34: Mark Mudie at Stourbridge: "The frenzy of excitement greeting the arrival of the first boxes has passed somewhat. There's a murmur of chatter as the counters go about their crucial work. The mayor of Dudley Cllr Pat Martin has just arrived after hotfooting it from the Halesowen count. Will it be a regal night for David Cameron? The assembled hacks here huddled round a laptop set out with live TV feed which showed the swing to the Tories for the first two seats declared would point away to a Conservative majority. People here just do not know how accurate the exit polls are."

11.33: Andrew Turton: "Early indications showing a finish of around 3am for Dudley South."

11.30: Tom Watson MP has had a break to update his DVD collection: "Just had time to order 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: http://bit.ly/cYQiXS before writing speeches."

11.28: Charlotte Cross at Halesowen: "First UKIP supporters have shown up. Alan Sheath, aged 82, is the chairman of Halesowen and Rowley Regis UKIP group and is also standing as a local election candidate in Bloxwich East, Walsall. He said he thinks UKIP can bring 'common sense' to UK politics. 'We're not sure whether we will get a seat but we doubled our share of the vote in the 2005 elections and we think that's going to increase. We think UKIP can make a difference. One of our main priorities is not reducing defence spending.'"

11.27: On Twitter, John Prescott (@johnprescott) "Glad to see we can now form a majority government! ;) #ukelection #"

11.23: The BBC/Sky/ITV News exit poll has been revised. The outcome remains the same - hung parliament, Tories the largest party - but the figures are now: Conservatives 305, Labour 255, Lib Dems 61 and others 29.

11.14: Charlotte Cross at Halesowen: "There are still very few Labour supporters turning up, with candidate Sue Hayman still to show her face. Sandwell councillor Ann Shackleton said the campaign trail had been tough as former MP Sylvia Heal stepped down just a few weeks ago. "It has been very hard work for us as our candidate came in at the last minute," she said. "We needed longer really." Campaigner Anne West added: "There has been a lot of positive feedback however, with people asking us some challenging questions on the doorsteps."

11.11: Mark Mudie at Stourbridge: "The first turnout figures have been posted on an e-board. One noteworthy - Gigmill Methodist Church in Norton showing a remarkable 83.3% voted. Deputy council leader Cllr Les Jones said the high turnout made the result even more unpredictable. "I've never known an election like this where it is so uncertain and I've been in this game 28 years." "

11.04: Lisa Wright at Birmingham NIA: "Counting is well under way. We're hoping for the first result for Birmingham Edgbaston at 12.30am."

11.00: Mark Mudie at Stourbridge: "Chris Bramall's agent Simon Hanson is remaining upbeat about the Lib Dem party prospects. He said: "It has been proved in the 1992 election that the exit polls can be drastically wrong. You can't put too much faith in them. It's too early to say how we're going to do here.""

10.56: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "Conservative candidate for Halesowen James Morris has just arrived at Cornbow Hall with his wife who has turned out to support him. He welcomed news of the exit polls which pointed to a Tory majority and said if he wins tonight, it will be the result of two years of hard work. "I think we've run a good campaign, and a positive campaign," he added.

"We're trying to put forward the case for change and it looks as though that has worked with exit polls showing Conservatives making significant gains. I haven't left any stone unturned throughout this campaign and if I can say that, I'm happy."

Meanwhile, Lib Dem candidate Phil Tibbetts' evening got off to a rough start when he wasn't allowed into the hall for the count, as they didn't have a ticket for him. Fortunately, one short phone call to his agent and he was in.

"I'm reasonably happy with the campaign that we have managed to put together with the resources we have," he said. "Now it's just a matter of being in a room with a lot of people who don't like me for five hours!"

He dismissed talk of the exit polls, comparing them to a Doctor Who commercial.

"They make you think one way when it's actually going to go another - I don't pay much attention," he added."

10.54: Andrew Turton, Dudley South: "Last remaining ballot boxes are filing into Brierley Hill Civic Hall as feverish counting is well underway in Dudley South. Conservative Councillor for Wordsley, Geoffrey Southall Q, said: "There is always the fear of voter apathy against National politicians but the turnout seems good." No candidates have arrived at the count so far."

10.50: Mark Mudie at Stourbridge: "Just had a chat with the Labour leader Cllr David Sparks who is very despondent. Reacting to the exit polls, he said: "It's going to be a very tough night for Labour. In many ways it's incredible that the Tories aren't on course for a landslide but it has been a very poor Labour campaign nationally. Really for us it has been the campaign from hell." He did add that if the result is as it appears from the exit polls he would expect Gordon Brown to go."

10.45: Dan Wainwright, Wolverhampton: "Wolverhampton North East Tory candidate Julie Rook is in the Civic Hall, pacing nervously between tables looking at the vote. She's still the only high profile here. Tom Watson on Twitter, the West Bromwich East MP, has revealed he is at home writing two speeches. Presumably one if he wins, one if he loses."

10.37: Don't forget to view the E&S map: Click here for the Expressandstar.com General Election 2010 national map

10.35: Mark Mudie at Stourbridge: "None of the candidates have appeared here yet but national exit polls suggest Margot James will clinch it for the Tories."

10.25: First comment of the night and it's a bit of a random one for a West Midlands new site. Adam says: "Need Manchester Votes for Hulme as soon as you can please." OK, Adam, we''ll do our best. Just need to look it up on the map first. Bear with us!

10.23: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "And they're off! The ballot boxes are being emptied onto the tables for the initial verification stage.

Returning Officer Linda Sanders has reminded counters it's "accuracy, not speed" which is important. A massive Tory turnout this evening with blue rosettes everywhere. So far, only one red rosette can be seen."

10.21: Andrew Turton: "First of the ballot boxes arriving at Brierley Hill Civic Hall for the count to decide the next MP for Dudley South."

10.20: Dan Wainwright at Wolverhampton Civic Hall: "The count has started. At the moment they are sorting the local election votes from the constituency votes. The local election count will not begin until 1pm tomorrow. At the moment the mood is just one of activity. There are no nervous faces yet. People are staring at the papers and doing the admin. No parliamentary candidates in view."

10.15: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: Campaign manager for Tory candidate James Morris, Cllr Jenny Dunn, says they are feeling good about the campaign. "We have worked really hard. James is well known in the area. We have been getting positive feedback from everyone we have spoken to. It is time for a change from a Labour MP. I think Halesowen will be blue by the end of the night."

10.12: Dan Wainwright, Wolverhampton: "The big question in Wolverhampton is whether Rob Marris can hang on to Wolverhampton South West for Labour. The seat, formerly held by Enoch Powell, fell to Labour in 1997 when Jenny Jones won it. Rob Marris took over in 2001. Businessmen Paul Uppal has been the Tory candidate since 2007."

10.10: Charlotte Cross, Halesowen: "Due to an extremely high turnout they're not expecting results to start coming in until 2am - 3am."

10.06: Mark Mudie at Stourbridge: "The counters started arriving at 9.30pm, with local candidates and councillors arriving shortly afterwards. Cabinet member for childrens services Liz Walker said she was confident that the Tories would win a national majority of a handful of seats but she added that she was not sure what result she wanted as she thought power was a 'poisoned chalice' after this election."

10.05pm: David Cameron will fall 19 seats short of a Commons majority, according to a joint BBC/Sky/ITV exit poll.

[caption id="attachment_117435" align="aligncenter" width="475" caption="Sky News showing the Sky News/Itv News/BBC exit poll for the 2010 General Election showing the prediction of a hung parliament."]

10.01pm: Charlotte Cross at the Halesowen count: "There's a palpable buzz of excitement at Halesowen's Cornbow Hall as the counters for the Halesowen and Rowley Regis constituency start to filter in. There is no sign of any candidates yet but it's only a matter of time as everyone wants to know if new Labour candidate Sue Hayman, replacing former MP for 13 years Sylvia Heal, can hold the party's majority of just over 4,500."

10pm: Welcome to Expressandstar.com's General Election blog. The polls have now closed. We await the first results from our region and beyond.