LIVE: General Election 2017

• Welcome to The News' live coverage of all the results, reaction and gossip from the 2017 General Election.
• Reporters are in place across the five key counts for the area in Portsmouth, Fareham, Gosport and Havant.
• Portsmouth South promises to be the key seat with both the Liberal Democrats and Labour targeting Tory-occupied seat.
• First results for the area are not expected until at least 2.30am.
• We will update this summary box with the key news as it breaks.

Fareham - Conservative - Suella Fernandes
Portsmouth North - Conservative - Penny Mordaunt
Portsmouth South - Labour - Stephen Morgan
Gosport - Conservative - Caroline Dineage
Havant - Conservative - Alan Mak
Meon Valley - Conservative - George Hollingbery
Chichester - Conservative - Gillian Keegan
East Hampshire - Conservative - Damian Hinds

George Hollingbery holds Meon Valley for the Conservatives.
George Hollingbery (Con) 35,624
Sheena King (Labour) 9,932
Martin Tod (Lib Dem) 5,900
Paul Bailey (Ukip) 1,435
Andrew Hayward (Green) 1,301

Turnout 73.14 per cent
CON HOLD

'Honoured' Tory Suella Fernandes has won Fareham

Suella Fernandes (Con) 35,915
Matthew Randall (Labour) 14,360
Matthew Winnington (Lib Dem) 3,896
Tony Blewett (Ukip) 1,541
Miles Grindey (Green) 1,302
CON HOLD
MAJ 21,555
TURNOUT 72 per cent 

Tony Blewett, Ukip Fareham MP candidate, has said his party is going to be 'slaughtered'.
Mr Blewett, 70, said: 'We didn't have enough volunteers to go door-knocking.
'Looking at the national picture I think we're going to get slaughtered.
'It looks as though Labour is getting out everybody else other than the Tories.'
He said the party had focused its efforts in Gosport instead of Fareham.
Meanwhile it has been revealed 57,138 people have cast a vote this election in the constituency.

The Ukip candidate Tony Blewett has not appeared at the count in Ferneham Hall until 1am.
In 2015, another candidate won 8,427 for the party - coming second.
But the late arrival of Mr Blewett has raised some eyebrows from opposing candidates this evening.
Green party candidate Miles Grindey said: 'Blewett has blown it.
'I think it's a bit weird.
'Ukip came second here last time with 8,000.'

Havant Borough Council revealed how many people voted in this year’s election across the borough of Havant.
The new figures beat the turnout for 2015.
This year, out of the 72,470 residents eligible to vote, a total of 46,399 did.
This means the turnout across the Havant borough is 64.3 per cent.
In 2015 the turnout was 63.5 per cent, and 44,828 people voted.
A total of 1,571 more people voted this year than in 2015.

Labour candidate for Havant, Graham Giles, said borough has been ‘lacking leadership’ under Tory rule while Tory candidate and former MP Alan Mak said Labour are irrelevant in the borough.

Labour candidate Stephen Morgan has said it is 'far too early' to comment on rumours he could take Portsmouth South from the Conservatives. A source has told The News he could well be the first MP for the constituency since it was created.

Counters in Fareham have verified all the votes and will begin counting the ballots shortly.
The turnout was 72 per cent, an official announced in Ferneham Hall.
Suella Fernandes, Tory MP candidate, arrived just before the announcement.
She said: 'It's been a really good campaign both in Fareham and in the country.
'I'm really grateful to all my volunteers, who've done such a great job in Fareham, people who have signed up for the first time who've been inspired by Theresa May wanting to make a success of Brexit.'
The turnout is up on the last two general elections at 71 per cent in 2015 and 71.6 per cent in 2010.

Labour Party candidate Alan Durrant has walked out of the election count in protest, following his disagreements with Conservative candidate Caroline Dinenage earlier today, where she claimed the Labour Party had been defacing her campaign posters.

Green Party candidate for Gosport Monica Cassidy says she would be delighted to make a small gain tonight.
In the 2015 General Election, Ms Cassidy gained 1,707 votes, finishing in fifth place.
She explained: 'We're fairly confident that we'll increase our percentage.
'I'd like to keep my name off the loser list, as it were.'

With ballots being verified at the Fareham count in Ferneham Hall, Liberal Democrats parliamentary candidate Matthew Winnington says he has no chance.
He said: 'I don't think I have any chance here but I think it shows that this election has been a complete waste of time.
'The media has been making this election between Labour and the Conservatives and that has been really disappointing.'
He added: 'The Conservatives are going back and we are going forward.'
The seat has been Tory since 1885.
Conservative candidate Suella Fernandes won a 22,262 majority in 2015.

Cllr Hugh Mason, Lib Dems' deputy group leader is keeping his cards to his chest about the highly-anticipated Portsmouth South result.
He said: 'We have fought a very professional campaign and we've had good responses through the day in areas such as Eastney. I have no idea how it will play out.'
When quizzed on a potential hung parliament, he said: 'I would be very surprised if that's the result. It would lead to huge implications for Brexit negotiations.'

Chloe Palmer, UKIP candidate for Gosport, says she is realistic about her chances.
She said: 'If I'm honest, I would be pleased to finish third, I'd consider that a success.'
Full video interview to follow.

Councillor Donna Jones, leader of Portsmouth City Council has had this to say on the exit poll.
'In 2015, the exit poll predicted a hung parliament so it is still too early at this stage to see how it is going to go. We need to wait to see the response and I am optimistic that the electorate will return a strong and stable Conservative government.

First ballot box is in at Gosport Leisure Centre, from Grange Junior School. Ballot boxes are now being handed out.

Here is the exit poll stats that have just come in...

CON 314
LAB 266
LD 14
SNP 34
UKIP 0
OTHER 18

Ballot boxes are already arriving here at Portsmouth Guildhall...