Exit poll predicts big win for Boris Johnson in UK election

Exit polling for the United Kingdom general election suggests a resounding victory for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, with his Conservative Party on course to claim a majority of 86 seats and the Labour Party predicted to suffer heavy losses.

If the prediction from polling agency Ipsos MORI is accurate, the Conservatives will add 50 MPs to bring their total to 368, while Labour will lose 71 and hold just 191 seats.

With such a clear majority, Boris Johnson would likely have the backing he needs to take the UK out of the European Union by Jan 31 next year.

This would constitute the largest election victory for the Conservatives since the reelection of Margaret Thatcher in 1987, if the poll is correct, and Labour's worst result in 84 years.

Voting ended at 10:00 pm on Thursday night in the UK, and the exit poll followed seconds after. The first confirmed election results will likely come in at around midnight, with the total count due around lunchtime on Friday.