Conservative Party leader Theresa May has pledged to form a new government following last night’s General Election.

The Comet: Sir Oliver Heald has retained North East Hertfordshire for the Conservatives. Picture: JP AsherSir Oliver Heald has retained North East Hertfordshire for the Conservatives. Picture: JP Asher (Image: Archant)

The Conservatives took 318 seats – leaving them short of a majority in the House of Commons and creating a hung parliament – but, after meeting the Queen earlier this afternoon, Mrs May said her party would form a government with the support of the 10 Democratic Unionist Party seats which will give them an overall majority.

A resurgent Labour Party saw unexpected gains in many areas and surged to 261 seats. The Scottish National Party lost ground, taking 35 per cent of the vote, while the Lib Dems took 12 seats and just 1.8 per cent of the votes. The ‘king makers’ – Northern Ireland’s DUP – took 1.5 per cent of the vote with the 10 seats which will become so crucial in the days ahead.

The national swing towards Labour was reflected locally – to an extent – as Labour made strong gains in numbers of votes, but without usurping any of the Conservative candidates from their Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire seats.

Sir Oliver Heald took a comfortable victory in North East Herts with 32,587 votes, with his majority reduced by almost 2,000 compared to 2015.

The Comet: The new Hitchin and Harpenden MP Bim Afolami, who has retained the seat for the Conservatives. Picture: Layth YousifThe new Hitchin and Harpenden MP Bim Afolami, who has retained the seat for the Conservatives. Picture: Layth Yousif (Image: Archant)

Doug Swanney came in second for the Labour Party with 15,752, an improvement of 9.5 per cent in the party’s performance in 2015.

In Stevenage, Conservative Stephen McPartland had his majority cut from almost 5,000 to 3,384 with 24,798 votes, but secured more than 50 per cent of the votes for the first time.

Labour’s Sharon Taylor improved her performance by 9.2 per cent compared to 2015, taking 43.4 per cent of the vote in second place.

In Mid Beds the Conservative candidate Nadine Dorries received 38,936 votes (61.7 per cent).

The Comet: Conservative Alistair Burt, pictured with his wife Eve, has retained his North East Bedfordshire seat. Picture: JP AsherConservative Alistair Burt, pictured with his wife Eve, has retained his North East Bedfordshire seat. Picture: JP Asher (Image: Archant)

Her majority was reduced by almost 2,500 votes compared to 2015 as Labour’s Rhianon Meades took 17,953 votes with a 12.6 increase in her party’s share.

In North East Beds, Alistair Burt increased his shared of the vote by 1.1 per cent with 39,139 votes (60.9 per cent).

Labour increased their share by 12.7 per cent with 28.5 per cent of the votes.

Mr Burt summed up what last night meant for the Conservative Party, saying: “I’m very conscious that when parliament meets next week it will meet in unexpected circumstances.

“We have some very big issues to deal with including our future in Europe and the threat of terror and we all have a lot of responsibilities. I’ve heard a lot of messages from people in North East Beds and those messages will be well learned and reflected in parliament.”

He said parties would need to work together to deal with the threat from terror and that, in the words of Jo Cox - MP for Batley and Spen who was murdered last year – “there is a lot more that unites us than divides us”.