The former Scottish Tory leader, Ruth Davidson, referred to the exit poll projection as a “massacre” for her party, but also noted that they had performed better than expected with 131 seats. The Liberal Democrats claimed victory in Chichester, unseating the education secretary, Gillian Keegan, who had a majority of over 21,000 at the last election. The Lib Dems also secured their first victory of the night in Harrogate & Knaresborough.
Labour sources expressed confidence in winning seats in Fife and Burnley, where the party was on course to reclaim a seat lost to the Tories in 2019. Turnout was reported to be low, with polling guru John Curtice suggesting it could be one of the lowest in post-war history.
The Tories in Wales were facing potential losses to Labour in seats like Wrexham and the Vale of Glamorgan. The leader of the Welsh Tories expressed frustration with the timing of the election, and there were indications of a need for the party to develop a stronger brand in Wales. Despite some setbacks, such as the scandal involving Craig Williams, Labour and the Lib Dems appeared to be making significant gains overall.
Ruth Davidson’s comments on the exit poll, along with developments in key constituencies across the UK, point to a potentially dramatic realignment of political power following the election.
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