Exit polls are indicating a 5.5 per cent national swing towards the Conservatives – leaving them with almost 100 more seats but still short of the 7 per cent needed to form a majority government. But there was bad news for the Lib Dems as polls indicated

Exit polls are indicating a 5.5 per cent national swing towards the Conservatives - leaving them with almost 100 more seats but still short of the 7 per cent needed to form a majority government.

But there was bad news for the Lib Dems as polls indicated that they might end up with fewer seats than they currently hold.

The first result in was for Houghton and Sunderland South, where 26-year-old Labour candidate Bridget Phillipson retained the seat for Labour with a 10,995 majority but the swing to the Conservatives was 8.4 per cent.

The Lib Dem vote was slightly down on their 2005 election performance.