What the exit poll predicts in the North East as Tories face electoral disaster

The Labour Party is standing on the verge of a return to power, and claiming back seats across the North East.

The exit poll predicts Labour winning all but three seats in the region.

Nationally Labour will be the largest party with 410 seats, the major poll says. Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak's Conservatives are predicted to have just 131 seats, with the PM's term in office looking set to end in electoral disaster.

Labour stands a 99% chance of winning in Darlington, Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor, Bishop Auckland where the Tories made historic gains in 2019.

Meanwhile, Labour stands a 99% chance of winning Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland from Sir Simon Clarke, and Stockton West from Matt Vickers.

It would mark a stunning recovery from 2019 when Labour suffered its worst defeat since the 1930s and a Tory tsunami swept from the Tyne to the Tees. Under then-premier Boris Johnson's premiership, the party won 365 seats, with a majority of 80.

The exit poll predicts Reform could claim 13 seats across the country, including in Hartlepool where Nigel Farage’s party stand a 91% of winning.

The Tories claimed the seat from Labour in a 2021 by-election.

Elsewhere in the region the exit poll also predicts a 99% chance of Hexham, which has never returned a Labour MP, doing just that with Tory Guy Opperman defeated.

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The Conservatives could be reduced from 12 seats to just one or two.

Rishi Sunak's Richmond and Northallerton seat is expected to remain Conservative, despite reports in the Guardian this week that the PM had told his inner circle he feared he would not be reelected.

Meanwhile, the Tories' hopes of holding North Northumberland (formerly the Berwick constituency) hang in the balance with the seat is currently too close to call.