Tories wrecked by first-past-the-post

The voting system that had served them so well has now turned round to bite them

- Tony Travers

LABOUR won and won big. Although the opinion polls had long predicted Sir Keir Starmer would become prime minister today, the scale of his victory and its potential impact on the country will take time to sink in.

With the party expected to win just over 410 MPs and have an overall majority of some 176, this was a historic win — and a catastrophic loss for the Conservatives.

The Tories have been reduced to around 120 seats, far fewer than in 1906 (156) or 1997 (165), their previous lowest totals. Studies will be written about how the Conservatives, the most durable and successful election-winning machine in the world, have been reduced to this position.