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3A Victory For The Many, Not The Few
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5Charting the unprecedented and once impossible rise to power by a once hard-left rebellious backbench MP.
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78 June 2017 | 22:00
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9"And what we're saying is - there will be a hung parliament with the Conservatives as the largest party. 301 for the Conservatives, that's down 29. 270 for Labour, that's up 38. The SNP - the Scottish National Party - 46, down 10. The Liberal Democrats on 11, up 3. And the smaller parties: Plaid Cymru stays on 3, the Greens on 1, none for UKIP and the others on 18...Well, the Prime Minister called this election because she wanted, as she put it, 'certainty and stability' and this doesn't seem to be like certainty and stability at all."
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13In the Tory war room at CCHQ there was incredulity. The sombre silence that fell over the room as they took in the result of the exit poll and heard the snap analysis from the BBC election night team was deafening. It was broken only by a single word - "F*ck!" - shouted one of those gathered towards the back of the room. The silence was eventually ended when an awful retching sound filled the room - "It sounded like someone being sick," a present special adviser later confided. 
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15The man behind the Conservative campaign, Lynton Crosby, attempted to raise morale by telling those gathered that "The BBC haven't got anything right in their life. Don't worry." His attempts at lightening the mood, including play-fighting and joking, were unconvincing as activists chewed over the result. A group gathered in a corner with a pen and paper crunched the numbers and soon realised that they were going to need a substantial change in the figures in their favour to just scrape a working majority with the help of the DUP. 
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17In Sonning, Theresa May couldn't bare to watch the exit poll herself and asked her husband, Philip, to watch for her. She knew the campaign hadn't gone well, but held out hope - fuelled by her advisers - that she would be returned with a comfortable majority of 60, despite internal numbers on election day suggesting a majority of just 8. 
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19Philip himself couldn't believe what he watching. When he broke the news to the Prime Minister she was struck by a sense of loss, disappointment, grief. Tears rolled down her face as he took her in his arms - at this moment she realised her gamble, taken on a sunny April morning with sky-high poll ratings, had gone horribly wrong. Her only hope was that the 20-seat margin of error in the exit poll would be in the Conservatives' favour and push them tantalisingly close to the 326 needed for a majority. After gathering her composure, she wiped away the tears from her face and went back into the lounge and got straight on the phone to CCHQ.
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22Jeremy Corbyn was at home in Islington with his wife, Laura, and his closest aides - Seumas Milne and Karie Murphy. The exit poll triggered nothing more than a content nod from the unlikely Labour leader. He had privately predicted he would win 37% of the vote, the exit poll didn't give any indication of the breakdown of the vote but he was certain that he'd achieve that tonight. 
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24The rest of Corbyn's team had gathered at the party's headquarters in Victoria, which had been divided into a working floor on the eight level and a party room on the second. In the run-up to ten o'clock the atmosphere was "nervous". 
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26Four scenarios had been mapped out by Corbyn's aides: a widening gap between the two main parties (expected by most Labour officials); a large increase in Labour's vote but a decrease in seats; stalemate where both big parties take seats from each other; and a 'clear shift in our direction'. 
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28Corbyn's team punched the air when the exit poll dropped. Hands on mouths, sharp intakes of breath and tears of joy. "Sh*t a brick," shouted one of his aides. Whilst the inner team celebrated, party staffers were similar in that they couldn't believe what they were seeing but they really did not believe what they were seeing - it didn't chime with anything they'd seen. 
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30The exit poll suggested the result would not only be in line with the most optimistic of Labour's four scenarios, but might also see them catapulted into Downing Street in a matter of hours or days.
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32The Red Wave
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34At the BBC's Elstree studios, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell were waiting to go onto their election night programme when the exit poll dropped. He and his media adviser, John Mills, were stunned and overjoyed, but held in their excitement out of respect for Conservative Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon who was also waiting to go on. "He looked as if he had been kicked in the balls," said one witness of Fallon some months after the election. 
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36John McDonnell was being wheeled out as the main face of the Labour leadership on election night, explaining to a now shocked and nervous nation where Labour stood and what it planned to do next. He was, however, ensuring he was calm and measured. He remembered 2015, when it looked as though David Cameron would fall short but had ended up with a majority. He remembered 1992, when his own dreams of entering the Commons were dashed by 54 votes. 
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38For election night the Corbynistas and those at Labour's Southside headquarters who weren't too pleased with his leadership came together. Andrew Fisher, the chief architect of the manifesto, sat in a small room off the main campaign hub with the party's chief election brain Patrick Heneghan and other party directors Simon Jackson and Neil Fleming. Heneghan had built up an efficient reporting network from party officials on the ground at the counts, who monitored each ballot box, and reported back to Southside. This gave him a much more accurate and quicker assessment of the race than the BBC was reporting. Information from the counts went straight to the computer to give real-time statistics. The key figures were then posted on a whiteboard. 
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42The first result came in at 11:00pm from Newcastle upon Tyne Central. Incumbent Labour MP Chi Omwurah was projected on the exit poll to increase her vote to 65% (+10%), whilst the Conservatives were set to increase to 22% (+3%). That was a predicted swing of 3.5% from 2015. 
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44In reality, the swing to Labour was almost double what was projected as the Conservatives barely gained any ground. At this point the mood in CCHQ sank further as Lynton Crosby's claims that the BBC would be wrong hit a brick wall. The exit poll was most likely to be wrong in safe seats like these. It was wrong, but in the wrong direction for the Conservatives. For Labour, it was such a thrilling result that many dared to dream what seemed impossible just six weeks beforehand. 
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48At 11:55pm the result from North Swindon came in. The 2015 result gave Conservative Justin Tomlinson a majority of almost 12,000. In 2010 it had been a gain for the party from Labour on course to handing David Cameron the keys to Number 10 ending 13 years of Labour government.
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50The 2017 result came like a kick to the gut to Conservative HQ. They held the seat, but the majority was slashed from almost 12,000 to just over 5,000. The Conservatives had privately been hoping for at least 60% of the vote to Labour's 30%. In reality, they just about made net gains in terms of votes, whilst Labour soared by more than 13%. The swing was another 6.5%.
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54Things were so febrile on the night that Steve Baker, a prominent Conservative and Chairman of the backbench European Research Group of eurosceptic Tories, was told that his almost 15,000 majority would be entirely wiped out and he would lose his seat. The picture for him improved overnight and he eventually held on but with a majority of less than 7,000. 
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56Darlington, number 36 on the Tory target list, was held by Labour at 12:51am. Any lingering hope of the Conservatives pushing past 310 and making it up to 320 were dashed. Activists gathered at CCHQ and at counts around the country were in tears as they realised their dream of changing the face of Britain under Theresa May had all but vanished before their eyes. 
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58At just after 1:00am the BBC updated their exit poll to become a forecast. It had the Conservatives on 302, Labour on 270, the SNP on 45, the Lib Dems on 12, Plaid on 2, the Greens on 1 and the others on 18. It was beyond clear by now that there was no chance of the Conservatives reaching numbers that would enable them to command a working majority with the DUP - the only party that would be open to doing a deal with them. Combined they would reach 312 - 8 short of a working majority. 
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60As the results came in, Theresa May's team began to contemplate their options. They decided on a risky, but they though appropriate plan. As the largest party, Theresa May would seek to remain in Downing Street as Prime Minister at the head of a minority government and do a deal with the DUP anyway to shore up her numbers. She could not, however, stay on for much longer as leader of the party after shedding almost 30 seats in an election she was expected to win by an unprecedented landslide when it was called. 
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62In Islington, Jeremy Corbyn's team too began to assess what to do next. They knew the Conservatives had no hope of achieving a working majority, let alone an actual majority of 326 seats. Only Labour, on the latest forecast, could achieve that by working with the SNP and the Liberal Democrats. Coalitions with any and all parties had been ruled out consistently throughout the campaign as Theresa May sought to spook the voters into voting against a "coalition of chaos". Instead, Corbyn's team resolved to strike fast to achieve alternative arrangements with these parties to oust May from Number 10 and install Corbyn as Prime Minister. 
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64At Theresa May's count in Maidenhead it was no surprise when she was returned with a handsome victory. Her victory speech focused on the unfolding national picture: "At this time, more than anything else, what this country needs is a period of stability. If the Conservatives have won the most seats and probably the most votes then it will be incumbent on us to ensure that we have that period of stability - and that is exactly what we will do." At CCHQ, activists and staff alike watched sick with dread. 
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68At about 4:30am, as the sun was rising above London on what was sure to be a day full of drama, Theresa May and her husband arrived at CCHQ. They went into the boardroom accompanied by her Chiefs of Staff, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, and two other aides - JoJo Penn and Chris Wilkins. They concluded that despite how the numbers were falling, they must attempt to form a government. Feelers were also put out in private to the Liberal Democrats with a promise to soften Brexit but they were adamant they wanted a fresh referendum. That was one red line the Conservatives just could not cross. The DUP were sounding positive, but combined they would scrape over 310 - well short of a working majority. A minority was the best they could hope for. 
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70May was conscious that if they did pull off forming a government she would need the support of the big-hitters in Cabinet to stay on. Intelligence had been fed through to the Chief Whip, Gavin Williamson, that MPs had been canvassing support on behalf of Boris Johnson, David Davis and even the Chancellor, Philip Hammond. All three assured the Prime Minister personally over the phone that she had their support. 
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72The brains behind the campaign, including Lynton Crosby, were ushered into the room soon afterwards to face the Prime Minister. They'd gone pale and looked almost shell shocked. They issued immediate apologies, but May was not content. "How did you not see this coming?" she asked. "You've been sending me round all these seats and I've just been doing what you told me to do. And we didn't come anywhere close to winning, so what's been going on? Explain how this has happened?" Murmurings about the youth vote and campaign mistakes were all that could be offered.
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74The meeting broke up soon afterwards and May went into the war room. Despite what had happened the staff applauded and May had to calm them. One of those present later said: "I though she was going to break down in the middle of it," she was close to tears. "This is a disappointing result. There have been extraordinary shifts in British politics, but this is still the best political party in the world. This result is not down to lack of effort on your part. Everyone here has worked incredibly long hours, and I'm thankful for all the work people have put in." May told those gathered around her. Shortly afterwards, Theresa and Philip May left CCHQ for Downing Street. 
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76At 5:34am on 9 June the BBC officially called the result of the election as a hung parliament. Their final forecast put the Conservatives on 304 (including the Speaker). Labour was on 268. The SNP on 44. The Lib Dems on 13. Plaid on 2. The Greens on 1. The others on 18.
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79Ruddy Hell!
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81The overall national picture was so bad for the Conservatives that it had slipped many people's minds that the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, was perilously close to losing her seat in Hastings and Rye. The exit poll had initially forecast that she would retain her seat but on a greatly reduced majority from her already small 2015 majority of 4,796. Later forecasts had it being far too close to call but probably slipping into the Conservative column, owing to the advantage of incumbency more than anything else.
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83After many, many, many recounts at just before 6am on 9 June, the returning officer stood to announce the result. By a majority of 1,017 the Home Secretary lost her seat. A seven-year career in Parliament brought to an unexpected and abrupt end hours before it was expected that, had things gone as 'planned', she would become Britain's first female Chancellor. For CCHQ it was "the icing on a sh*t cake," one party official said. Rudd was the second Cabinet minister after Ben Gummer, who helped to write the manifesto, to lose their seat. 
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85The news hit Theresa May personally. Amber Rudd had become one of her most trusted friends in the Cabinet and she wanted to reward her for that, even more so after she stood in for May on the BBC's election debate just two days after the death of her father. The response to the Manchester Arena and London Bridge & Borough Market terrorist attacks also delivered greater gratitude to Rudd from May. But gratitude wasn't enough to save her from losing her job. Not only had Theresa May lost a close confidant she now also had a gaping hole in her Cabinet that filled the space of one of the most important jobs less than a week after a major terror attack. Not knowing whether she would be able to form a government in the coming hours and days, May decided to take it upon herself to become acting Home Secretary. 
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89Hastings and Rye wasn't the only place home to a shock result. Kensington, Conservative in one form or another since 1910, delivered all the same drama without any of the big personalities. Multiple recounts led to this seat being the last to declare at 11:21am. 107 years of Conservative dominance in this seat, home to the young royals at Kensington Palace, came to an end at that moment as Labour's Emma Dent Coad was swept to victory on a small majority - overturning a 7,000+ majority left by the 2015 election.
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93After all 650 results were in the overall picture of the 2017 snap election was clear - a hung parliament with no one party being able to command a majority (working or otherwise) without the help of at least two other parties. It was a disaster for Theresa May, who entered the election at the peak of her extended honeymoon period. Just days after calling the election one poll had the Conservatives at 50% to Labour's 25% across the country and on 38% in Scotland to the SNP's 42% and Labour's measly 10%. Had that been the election result she would have won an unprecedented landslide of 226, with 438 seats whilst Labour would've been reduced to just 141. 
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95Instead, it was triumph for Jeremy Corbyn coming back from the polling lows of 23% to achieve Labour's best result since 2001. Initial predictions of Labour being reduced to a rump of 120-160 seats were proven wrong with the party returning almost 270 MPs to the new House of Commons. Not only had he succeeded in defying the odds and gaining seats. He deprived the Conservatives of a majority. And may have just put himself on course to walk into Downing Street in a matter of days. 
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98"These are no ordinary election results"
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100The planned visit to Buckingham Palace planned for Friday lunchtime had been scrapped as Theresa May's team grappled with the new reality laid before them. Meters away in the Cabinet Office, the Cabinet Secretary was leading a team in helping to facilitate the inevitable negotiations between the various political parties. Jeremy Corbyn's office was given a direct line to the Cabinet Office.
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102In the Treasury and in the City the priority was containing the turbulence in the markets as investors reacted to a much unanticipated result and the real prospect of self-declared socialists and admirers of Marx walking into Downing Street. Sterling had fallen from $1.29 to $1.22 overnight, whilst the FTSE 100 had fallen by 8.3% from 7527 points to 6904 but had started to make a slight recovery as the initial shock settled.
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104Inside Number 10 renewed attempts were made to woo the Liberal Democrats, but the scars of coalition and Conservative refusal to countenance a second referendum once again meant that the attempts came to nothing. The DUP were now the only hope for the Conservatives, and this was acknowledged by all inside No10, but combined the two parties only had 313 seats - 312 when the non-voting Deputy Speaker from the Conservative benches was taken in. That left them 8 short of a working majority of 320. 
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106Theresa May herself was preparing to face the spotlight once again. The world's media was feet away from the front door of Number 10 as they waited with baited breath to hear what she had to say about this most humiliating of results. It had been briefed to the media already that she had no intention of resigning and would attempt to form a government. 
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108At 12:24 Theresa May stepped out of the famous black door alone to the lectern that awaited her...
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110With the outcome of the General Election, we find ourselves in an unexpected and unprecedented position where it is clear that no viable single or two-party arrangement can command a majority of the House of Commons. 
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112Therefore I felt that I should provide my assessment of where we are. As Prime Minister it is my duty to seek a resolution to this situation for the good of our whole United Kingdom. These are no ordinary election results. Few have spoken about the possibility of a hung Parliament but this is where we now find ourselves. The question for all of the political parties now is whether a working majority can be established that can reflect how you, the British people, have voted. 
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114As the process of forming a government gets underway I would like to make it clear that I would be prepared to meet any of the party leaders. The challenges facing us as a country are real and they are pressing. The election result has precipitated a sharp decrease in the financial and currency markets. We are working to do all we can to calm that.
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116At the top of everybody's minds is, of course, Brexit. Negotiations with the European Union are set to begin in just 10 days time and we would all expect a new government to be in place by that date to start those negotiations and seek a good deal for the UK.
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118I believe that having received the largest number of seats and votes, the Conservative Party has a duty to try and form a government to achieve exactly that. Talks are talking place with our friends in the DUP and we remain open to talk to any and all other parties about how we can achieve a suitable arrangement for the good of the country. I also understand that the Labour Party will seek to form its own arrangements with other parties and the Civil Service is prepared to facilitate those discussions. 
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120What we all now need to be mindful of is the need for a strong and stable government and for that to be formed with the authority to tackle the challenges that our United Kingdom faces.
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122I understand, as I know you and the other party leaders do too, that we do not like uncertainty and we do not want it to be prolonged. However, we live in a parliamentary democracy and the outcome has been delivered by you the people and it is now up to us here in Westminster to try and make that work for the good of the country.
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124At this stage I am sure it will be appreciated that there is little more that I can say other than the essential functions of government will continue and that I stand ready to continue as Prime Minister for as long as necessary.
125For Labour, this statement all but confirmed that Mrs May was not going to be able to form a government of her own. They knew CCHQ had put out feelers to other parties other than the DUP and that, quite obviously, no one else had responded positively. The race was now on for Labour to seek arrangements to secure themselves 320 votes and work started straight away.
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127The first call went out to Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP at 12:45. Both Corbyn and Sturgeon agreed that coalition was not the route forward and that a confidence and supply arrangement would be more appropriate. They agreed to immediate talks to start later on Friday. The SNP negotiations in Westminster would be led by the Deputy Leader of the parliamentary group, Stewart Hosie, and include the Chief Whip, Mike Weir, and Pete Wishart, the SNP's Shadow Commons leader. Labour's team would be led by Deputy Leader and Party Chair Tom Watson and also include the Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry and the Chief Whip Nick Brown.
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129Labour and the SNP would only make up 313 seats in the House - 311 when the two Deputy Speakers from Labour are taken out. 9 short of a working majority. Verbal assurances from Plaid Cymru and the Greens to vote with Labour on any confidence motion, and likely Queen's Speeches and budgets too, bumped the numbers up to 314. The Liberal Democrats, as the last viable party standing, would therefore have to be contacted. 
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131Tim Farron had called Corbyn "demonstrably the worst leader in British political history" at the start of the campaign in April. However, the new parliamentary arithmetic looked as though it would force the two parties to come together. A short phone call between the two men led to Labour discovering Farron's intention to resign the leadership - something he had resolved to do mid-campaign after the controversy surrounding his comments on whether or not gay sex was a sin. It did, however, confirm the Lib Dems' willingness to enter talks with Labour to seek some kind of arrangement that was not a coalition. Labour would field up Angela Rayner (Shadow Education), Andrew Gwynne (Campaign Coordinator) and Sir Keir Starmer (Shadow Brexit) to negotiate with the Lib Dems. The Lib Dems fielded Alistair Carmichael (Shadow First Secretary), Sir Vince Cable and Jo Swinson. 
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133Combined, Labour, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats would have 323 voting MPs - a working majority of 7. The verbal assurances from Plaid Cymru and the Greens would secure 326 - a working majority of 13.
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135The Negotiations
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137At 18:30 precisely the SNP and Labour negotiators sat down in a hastily prepared room at the Cabinet Office, almost within touching distance of Number 10, where the Prime Minister was sat knowing that the decision about whether or not she could remain as Prime Minister was now out of her hands. 
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139The SNP were quick to lay their cards on the table - it was they, not Labour, in the position to make demands. They wanted a plan to begin the process of reversing austerity, which would lead to the UK balancing it's budget for day-to-day spending and only borrowing to invest. It wanted powers transferred to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence at the end of the Brexit process. It wanted guarantees that Scotland would remain in the single market, a new UK living wage of more than £10 and a top rate of tax for the UK of 50p. It also wanted the so-called "rape clause" on benefits abolished, the pensions triple lock protected and no increase in taxation for the low paid, in National Insurance or in VAT.
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141There were many clear overlaps with Labour policy there which the Labour negotiators were more than happy to oblige with and write into a confidence and supply agreement. The main point of contention was a second referendum on Scottish independence. Labour's opposition to a second independence referendum was outlined clearly in their manifesto, and warned that Scottish independence would lead to "turbo-charged austerity" for Scottish families. 
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143Although the party had ruled out a second referendum on Brexit in April, it had not been ruled in or out in the Labour manifesto. This provided the party with much needed wriggle room. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell were not overly keen on the idea of a second Brexit referendum. They knew swathes of Labour's heartlands in the North and Midlands had voted to Leave in 2016 and holding another referendum would run the risk of a 'betrayal' message taking hold. In order to successfully catapult themselves into Downing Street, though, they knew they needed to compromise. The SNP wanted a second referendum on Scottish independence. The Liberal Democrats wanted a second Brexit referendum. The easier of the two to accept, and that would command the most support on the Labour benches, would be a second Brexit referendum. 
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145And so the offer was made to the SNP to reject a second Scottish independence referendum in return for a second referendum on Brexit after negotiations have concluded. Though it wasn't what they wanted, the SNP jumped at the chance to have an opportunity to reverse Brexit. Though it would require further consultation with the Liberal Democrats, in principle it was agreed. The SNP's negotiating tactics had been discussed by the team beforehand. They knew Labour absolutely needed their votes, but they had to weigh that against the prospect of further instability, possibly a Conservative government and a hard Brexit. 
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147There were also agreements in principle to lower the voting age to 16, to abolish hereditary Peers and shrink the House of Lords with a view to making it an elected chamber. A referendum on changing the voting system was also agreed in principle and consultation with the Liberal Democrats, who have long backed this policy, would determine what alternative voting system would be offered. 
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149The swiftness at which common ground was secured surprised both sides, though was unsurprising the many areas of common ground shared between the two in their manifestos. A four-hour session, wrapping up at just after 10:30pm, led to both sets of negotiators reporting back to their leaders that an agreement was likely and that in many areas it had already been struck. 
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153Also at the Cabinet Office, Labour and Liberal Democrat negotiators sat down slightly later at just after 7pm. Much like the SNP, the Lib Dems laid their cards on the table immediately and set out what they wanted: a second referendum on Brexit; membership of the single market and customs union; a 1p rise in income tax to pay for NHS and social care; ending the public sector pay cap; £7bn in investment for education and scrapping the expansion of grammar schools; change the voting system to STV; and suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
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155Immediately, Labour knew the Lib Dems would be a bit of a tougher nut to crack. They agreed right off the bat to suspending arms sales to Saudi Arabia, to ending the public sector pay cap, to investing in education and scrapping grammar school expansions.
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157Raising income tax by 1p in the pound to pay for NHS and social care could be accepted, but on the condition that it was done in line with Labour's manifesto commitment to not raise income tax any further for those earning less than £80,000. Membership of the single market and customs union had not been explicitly ruled out by Labour. However, they did state in their manifesto that free movement of people would end after Brexit. Labour negotiators acknowledged, however, that the common ground between the SNP and Liberal Democrats was membership of the single market and so it made sense for Labour to adopt to policy and adapt free movement as much as possible within it to be better suit the UK's needs. Customs union membership, however, was ruled out in negotiations with the Liberal Democrats. Labour wanted the ability to do new trade deals around the world. As a result of that it was clear that a new minority Labour government backed by the SNP and Lib Dems would pursue a Norway-style Brexit.
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159Labour's negotiators announced, with a little smile, that Labour was now offering a second referendum on Brexit after the negotiations had concluded. They also announced that they were offering a referendum on changing the voting system, but had yet to determine what the alternative to first past the post would be. 
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163Negotiations between Labour and the Liberal Democrats continued on finer details on Saturday and into Sunday morning. Once the Lib Dems had been brought into the loop it was possible to write up an agreement between the SNP and Labour. That was completed and tinkered with until negotiations with the Liberal Democrats had ended.
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165Both ultimately ended in success on Sunday 11 June. They pressure on them to end the uncertainty soon meant that it was all wrapped up within 48 hours. 
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167Jeremy Corbyn called an emergency meeting of the Shadow Cabinet for Sunday evening where the two documents would be presented for agreement. Concerns on Brexit, specifically on the second referendum, were raised by a number of shadow ministers who shared Corbyn's earlier concerns that a 'betrayal' narrative might take hold. However, the argument that such a commitment was the only route to a Labour government was equally as strong, if not stronger, when it came to convincing the Shadow Cabinet and it won the day. 
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169Crucially, too, the Shadow Cabinet also agreed to pursue a Norway-style Brexit and also to apply for an extension of Article 50 to 30 June 2019 - 3 months later than currently scheduled to allow time for a coherent negotiating strategy to be developed. The start of negotiations would be delayed from 19 June until September.
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171The Shadow Cabinet signed off the two confidence and supply agreements at 00:33 on Monday 12 June. The Cabinet Office was alerted immediately. Downing Street was informed and the Prime Minister was told in person by the Cabinet Secretary. There was no discernible reaction on Mrs May's face. The thought of Jeremy Corbyn taking over - the thing she had sought to eliminate any possibility of by calling the election in the first place - sickened her. She and the Cabinet Secretary agreed that the transition of power should take place on Tuesday 13 June, to allow time for Corbyn's office to prepare. Buckingham Palace was informed of this to ensure The Queen's diary was amended as appropriate if necessary. 
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173A somewhat giddy Jeremy Corbyn returned to his Islington home and informed his wife that they were on their way to Number 10. News of the agreement leaked to the press overnight, but all parties remained shtum - refusing to confirm or deny the reports saying only "there'll be an announcement when negotiations have concluded". 
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175At 11am precisely on the Monday, Labour's press team issued a statement: "The Labour Party is pleased to confirm that it has successfully concluded negotiations with the Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats on two separate confidence and supply agreements to support a minority Labour government, following the result of the general election." Shortly afterwards the Cabinet Office confirmed that the transfer of power would take place the following day. 
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177Eight years of Conservative government was brought to an abrupt, unexpected and crushing end. Theresa May and her team had called the snap election to give them a majority that would allow them to shape Britain in their image for the next five or ten years. In the end, it backfired spectacularly and opened the door to a socialist government. 
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179The reaction from the Conservatives was one of fury. Most had held back on criticism of Theresa May personally in the hope that she would somehow manage to cobble together an agreement to stay in power. Now they knew that was not going to happen they let rip. "An absolute disgrace. She's single-handedly condemned this country to a hard-left socialist government. She shouldn't be let anywhere near public office again." one Tory MP said. 
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181Behind the scenes, the battle to succeed Theresa May and become Leader of the Opposition got underway despite her not yet announcing her resignation as Conservative Party leader.
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184Out With The Old, In With The Older
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186The nation awoke on 13 June 2017 to what would be an historic day. In Downing Street, the world's media was crammed onto the pavement across from the door of Number 10. They were settling in for what was expected to be a long day as the formation of Britain's new government unfolded before them. 
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188Inside Number 10, Theresa May was preparing for what would be undoubtedly a difficult day. It was eight weeks exactly since that morning in April when, in the belief that she would win a comfortable victory, she stunned the nation and called a snap election. Two months on and after two terror attacks, a failed campaign and an election that backfired her time as Prime Minister was up. 
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190When she called the election, her team had thought that their victory could be so big that Mrs May could be Prime Minister until the late 2020s. In reality, she hadn't even made it to halfway through 2017. She had become the seventh shortest serving Prime Minister in British history, managing just 335 days - even shorter than Sir Alec Douglas-Home. 
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192Two years ago exactly, Jeremy Corbyn hadn't yet reached the threshold of 35 nominations in order to appear on the ballot paper for Labour's post-2015 election leadership election. Two years on and he was just hours away from walking through the door of Number 10 as Labour's 7th Prime Minister. At 68 years (and 19 days) of age, Jeremy Corbyn was about to become the sixth oldest person to ever be appointed Prime Minister for the first time - older than Winston Churchill was in 1940. But that did not deter him in any way. The past two years had seen him fight two leadership campaigns and a general election campaign and those, he felt, had provided him with almost youth-like boost of energy and determination that he would now put to good use as Prime Minister. 
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194Some members of his team were liaising with the Cabinet Office to discuss the specific timings of the day. Others were finalising the plans for their first days in power, including Cabinet appointments. On the timings, it had been confirmed that Theresa May would speak for the final time as Prime Minister at 11am before going to Buckingham Palace to formally tender her resignation and advise The Queen to send for Mr Corbyn. Mr Corbyn would then be summoned from Labour's headquarters and take a two-minute drive to the Palace where he would kiss hands with Her Majesty and be invited to form a government in her name. He would then be driven to Downing Street where he would address the nation, and indeed the watching world, for the first time. 
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198At 11:03am, Theresa May stepped out of Number 10 with her husband by her side for the last time. She approached the waiting lectern and took a few seconds to look around her to take in the sights and sounds she would never see or hear again. A deep breath and she began to speak...
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200The General Election last week left our country with a hung parliament, with no party having an overall majority. I fought in that General Election for a government that would make a success of Brexit and build a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few - as I set out to achieve when I first arrived in Downing Street last year.
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202The election result was not one that I had hoped for or one that I believe will serve the country well. However, we live in a parliamentary democracy and I accept that election result and the political negotiations that have followed.
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204I will shortly travel to Buckingham Palace to see Her Majesty The Queen, where I will tender my resignation as Prime Minister. Should she accept, I will advise her to invite the Leader of the Opposition to form a new government. Though we come from different political worlds, I wish the next Prime Minister luck as he seeks to take the decisions that will shape our country for years to come. 
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206Brexit will not be an easy process for our country. But I truly believe that, if it is done right, it provides great opportunities for our United Kingdom in the years ahead. Opportunities that include the chance to regain control of our trade policy and renew our nation. It will require all of us, including those of us here in Westminster, to work together.
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208As I leave Downing Street for the last time, I want to thank all of my colleagues, ministers, Members of Parliament and the Civil Service who have served me, and our country, well during my time as Prime Minister, and during my time six years as Home Secretary. It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve my party and my country and as my time as Prime Minister ends so too will my time as Leader of the Conservative Party and the process for electing my successor will now be set into motion.
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210Above all I want to thank my husband, Philip, for his unwavering support, his love and his own service to me and our United Kingdom. His support, especially in recent days, has been essential in allowing me to carry out my responsibilities as Prime Minister, and I know that like me he too appreciates those who have given us their support over the years. 
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212For seven years Conservative Prime Ministers have been behind that door. Together, we have achieved great things over those years, including creating millions of new jobs, helping those on lower incomes, secured our precious Union of nations, help thousands across the world with British aid, improved our schools and allowed couples who weren't able to get married in the past to do so now. 
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214It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve our country as Prime Minister. As we leave for the last time, my only wish is for continuing success for this country that I love with all my heart.
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216Thank you, and goodbye.
217Theresa and Philip May then got into the Prime Ministerial car and made their way to Buckingham Palace. Inside the Palace The Queen thanked Mrs May for her service and accepted her resignation. May then proceeded to advise The Queen to send for Mr Corbyn. After a cup of tea, the message was sent out to Corbyn's team and they set off just as Mrs May left the Palace to go to her constituency home. 
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219[​IMG]
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221Mr Corbyn arrived at the Palace at 11:36, accompanied by his wife Laura - who had rarely been seen in public before - and at 11:47 Buckingham Palace confirmed that Jeremy Corbyn had accepted The Queen's invitation to form a new government in her name. Shortly before Noon they departed and set off for Downing Street. 
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223The lectern left by Mrs May was still in place and a member of Corbyn's team, who had been brought to Number 10 just seconds after the Mays had left, had put his speech in place. It was certain to be an historic speech that marked the beginning of Britain's first socialist government in a generation, and certainly it's most radical since at least the 1940s and Attlee.
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225
226Change Is Coming
227​
228I have just been to see The Queen where she asked me to form a new government - and I accepted. 
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230Before I talk about this new government, let me say something about the one that has just ended. Whilst we have different outlooks on the world and different views on policy, no one can deny that Theresa May was a dedicated servant to the public for more than 30 years across all levels of government. The Conservative government made mistakes, but today I pay tribute to the outgoing Prime Minister for her hard work and dedication on behalf of the entire country.
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232Today, we embark on a journey. A journey that will bring our country together after the divisions of the past few years. Over the course of the election campaign I travelled the length and breadth of Britain talking to ordinary people in villages, towns and cities. What I discovered was that people have grown tired of austerity, of cuts to expenditure and under-funding our public services. This Labour will government will turn the tide on austerity and invest in our communities, our public services and all of our people - from the youngest to the oldest.
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234We are ready to tackle inequality, to rebuild our National Health Service, to give opportunities to young people and dignity to older people, to invest in our economy and meet the challenges of climate change and the new economy, to put peace and justice at the heart of British foreign policy and to build a new, progressive and open relationship with Europe.
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236I know that at the forefront of everybody's minds is Brexit. Through agreements with our friends in the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party, we have agreed that the United Kingdom will seek to remain inside the single market but leave the customs union. And, once negotiations have concluded we will give the people a final say on the deal. Article 50 has already been triggered and countdown is on to our exit in 2019. However, as we are new government we will need to time to develop our negotiating strategy. Therefore, we will ask the EU to delay the start of negotiations and in Parliament we will request that MPs consent to an application to extend Article 50 and delay our exit until the summer of 2019. This will allow us to come together to develop a strategy for the negotiations that will deliver a good deal that works for everybody in every part of Britain.
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238But we will not allow Brexit to be all-consuming and we will ensure that we respond to the root causes of the vote to leave: people feeling left behind, forgotten. Abandoned by austerity politics. People who have seen their local services downgraded and degraded. Who have seen a lack of ambition when seeking to solve the housing crisis. Who haven't seen real wage increases for too long. We will do everything we can to change that. We offer hope. We will be a government that works for every man, woman and child in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. We will ensure that nobody is left behind as we embark on our journey to rebuild Britain for the many, not the few."
239The new Prime Minister then proceeded to walk up to the door of Number 10, wave to the press before taking his first steps behind that famous door. He was greeted by Sir Jeremy Heywoin od, the Cabinet Secretary, who walked him down the corridor past applauding staff - including those rushed in from his office at Southside. 
240
241Corbyn was thrown in at the deep end, meeting defence and intelligence officials before being briefed on the current security situation - a briefing even more important considering the two recent terror attacks. Following that he was asked to write four letters of last resort - instruction to Britain's four Trident submarines on what action they should take in the event of a catastrophic nuclear attack on the UK. The four options the Prime Minister had to give to the submarines were to put themselves under the control of an allied nation, retaliate with nuclear weapons, not to retaliate at all or for them to use their own judgement. After some deliberation, the Prime Minister wrote his letters and sealed them to delivered to the submarines. The contents would never be released, unless and until they needed to be opened.
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243Next on the in-tray was a briefing on business requiring immediate attention, including the Brexit negotiations. Corbyn confirmed his wish for the start of negotiations to be delayed from 19 June and work was started on determining the latest date that Article 50 could be delayed to without Britain needing to hold European Parliament elections in 2019. He also confirmed his intention to attend the G20 in Hamburg in three and a half weeks. It was at that point that Corbyn would launch himself onto the world stage. 
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245Telephone calls with several world leaders were also lined up for later that day and into Wednesday. Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron were the top priorities. Calls were also lined up with Justin Trudeau, Malcolm Turnbull, Leo Varadkar, Narendra Modi and Donald Trump. 
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247~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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249The first appointments, allowing Corbyn to put his stamp on Downing Street, were formalised immediately. Karie Murphy was appointed Chief of Staff. Seamus Milne was appointed Downing Street Director of Communications. Andrew Fisher was appointed Director of Policy. James Schnider was appointed Head of Operations and Amy Jackson was appointed Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.
250
251The job of appointing the Cabinet then began...
252
253
254Battle for the Conservatives
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256For Conservatives the resignation of Theresa May and the elevation of Jeremy Corbyn to Number 10 seemed more like a blurred dream. Less than a week beforehand the numbers were pointing to 360 seats now they had just over 300 and were back in Opposition facing a left-wing government led by a man they feared would lead Britain into a fire of economic ruin and nasty politics. The simultaneous resignation of Theresa May as Conservative leader opened the door to them to find their next leader - the man or woman who would be faced with the challenge of taking on 'Comrade Corbyn' and ejecting him from power.
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258For Theresa May herself she had agreed to become Leader of the Opposition whilst the Tories found their new leader. Sir Graham Brady and herself had decided that the leadership election would concluded during the summer recess to allow the new leader to begin the job of holding the government to account from day one after the summer recess. This gave Theresa May seven weeks to fulfil her new role.
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260Her immediate priority upon her return to her home in Sonning from Downing Street was to form a Shadow Cabinet. The exact line up of the Corbyn government wasn't yet known but she presumed that much of his Shadow Cabinet would roll over into the new Cabinet. She resolved to do the same, but in reverse with a few minor changes.
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262The first change that needed to be made was appointed a Shadow Home Secretary to fill the gap left by Amber Rudd. May decided that her close friend David Lidington should take up the role. Succeeding him as Shadow Leader of the Commons would be David Gauke. Succeeding him as Shadow Chief Secretary was Margot James. Damian Green was made Shadow First Secretary of State and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister, and to fill his shoes as Shadow Work & Pensions Secretary was Penny Mordaunt. Sir Patrick McLoughlin resigned as Party Chairman and was replaced by Lord Eric Pickles, who was tasked with conducting a review of the Conservative Party's election machine and recommending how to improve it for the next election.
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264~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
265​
266The battle to succeed Theresa May officially kicked off on the day after her resignation. Conservative MPs informally decided that the day of the handover of power should be dedicated to thanking May for her long years of public service and for warning about the dangers the new government poses.
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268On 14 June, however, the battle commenced. The first candidate out of the blocks was the Shadow Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom. She had dropped out in the race to become leader a year beforehand after making controversial comments about Theresa May's childlessness and how that might affect her ability to be Prime Minister. Leadsom decided, however, that after an election result like the one they had just witnessed she should try again. She genuinely believed that had she been in charge she could have won the election.
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270Second to declare was Shadow Chancellor Philip Hammond. He was an unexpected candidate, generally considered 'too grey' for the job, but he pitch to the party was that 'faced with a left-wing government ready to play fast and loose with the finances of our country we need an experienced head with a mind for economics'. It wasn't exactly the most inspiring of pitches, and didn't go down too well with his colleagues who still remembered his national insurance u-turn in the budget in March.
271
272Nominations opened on 15 June when another four candidates put their names forward for the leadership:
273Shadow Brexit Secretary David Davis said he could offer a 'vision of hope and change' to rival Corbyn's 'fantasy promises'. He cited his own upbringing by a single mother on a council estate in south London
274Shadow Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt had signalled his intention to run in 2016 but backed out in favour of Theresa May. The opportunity to run again presented itself far earlier than he had expected and he took it whilst he could. His 5 years as Health Secretary had been controversial to say the least, but he also had a two-year stint as Culture Secretary to point to that included a successful Olympic Games and Diamond Jubilee celebrations. He hoped he could act a unifying candidate for all wings of the Conservative Party.
275Shadow Housing Secretary Sajid Javid also put his name forward. He had run on joint ticket with Stephen Crabb in 2016 which, had it been successful, would have seen him become Chancellor. The press reports in the run-up to the election had speculated that he was one of the ministers May was planning to sack in a wide-ranging reshuffle. With the Conservatives now out of power he knew he had the chance to seize the leadership and build his profile before taking the top job for himself. Like Davis, he cited is personal background as the son of an immigrant bus driver.
276Shadow Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson - still the darling of the membership - now had the chance to do what he failed to do in 2016. He promised himself to do no deals this time around out of fear of having the rug pulled from under him again. As Brexiteer-in-Chief he knew he could appeal to the grassoots of the Conservative Party and to voters in places that other Tory leaders haven't. He also knew that his time as Foreign Secretary had damaged his support among MPs, but as the clear frontrunner he was sure he would bring many back onside and unite the party to take on Corbyn's Labour government. Having taken on Ken Livingstone in the deeply Labour London and won - twice - it was obvious to all that he had a something about him that allowed him to pull off unlikely victories.
277Nominations closed on 16 June and the hustings for the six candidates among MPs took place the following Monday (19 June). MPs came out after the hustings and said that Johnson and Hunt came out on top under the pressure.
278
279The first ballot of the 303 Conservative MPs took place on 20 June. It produced the following result:
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2811. Boris Johnson: 111
2822. Sajid Javid: 58
2833. David Davis: 57
2844. Andrea Leadsom: 32
2855. Jeremy Hunt: 24
2866. Philip Hammond: 21
287​
288Philip Hammond was consequently eliminated from the race and endorsed Sajid Javid. Jeremy Hunt withdrew and gave his support to Boris Johnson. The second round took place on 22 June:
289
2901. Boris Johnson: 121
2912. Sajid Javid: 82
2923. David Davis: 61
2934. Andrea Leadsom: 39
294​
295Andrea Leadsom was eliminated. She endorsed Boris Johnson for the leadership. The third round took place on 29 June:
296
2971. Boris Johnson: 127
2982. Sajid Javid: 97
2993. David Davis: 79
300​
301David Davis was eliminated and he endorsed Boris Johnson for the leadership. Sajid Javid and Boris Johnson both embarked on a campaign of the country talking to the almost 110,000 Conservative Party members who would decide which one of the two men would lead them.
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303
304Corbyn's Cabinet
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306After the briefings inside Number 10 it was time for Prime Minister Jeremy Corbyn to begin putting together his Cabinet. He and his team had spent the previous day drawing up a list of 33 people to join Corbyn in the Cabinet. 
307
308First to make the famous walk up Downing Street was Deputy Labour Leader Tom Watson. He was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport. 
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310Jon Trickett was appointed First Secretary of State, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office making him Corbyn's real de facto deputy.
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312John McDonnell was appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
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314Diane Abbott was appointed as Secretary of State for the Home Department.
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316Emily Thornberry was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
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318Sir Keir Starmer was appointed Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.
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320To everyone's surprise former Labour leader Ed Miliband was one of the early arrivals at Downing Street. He and Corbyn spent around 20 minutes together inside the Cabinet Room. He walked out as Secretary of State for Defence.
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322Richard Burgon was appointed Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice.
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324Jonathan Ashworth was appointed Secretary of State for Health.
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326Rebecca Long-Bailey was appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
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328Barry Gardiner was appointed Secretary of State for International Trade.
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330Debbie Abrahams was appointed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
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332Angela Rayner was appointed Secretary of State for Education.
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334Sue Hayman was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
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336John Healey was appointed Secretary of State for Housing at the new Department for Housing.
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338Andrew Gwynne was appointed Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. 
339
340Baroness Smith of Basildon was appointed Leader of the House of Lords and Lord Privy Seal. 
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342Lesley Laird was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland.
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344Christina Rees was appointed Secretary of State for Wales.
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346Owen Smith, Corbyn's challenger in the 2016 leadership election, was appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
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348Kate Osamor was appointed Secretary of State for International Development.
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350Margaret Greenwood was appointed Secretary of State for Labour at the new Ministry of Labour.
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352Dawn Butler was appointed Secretary of State for Women and Equalities - upgraded to a government department.
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354Ian Lavery kept his position as Labour Party Chair and was also made Minister Without Portfolio.
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356Peter Dowd was appointed Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
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358Valerie Vaz was appointed Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council. 
359
360Nick Brown was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip).
361
362Baroness Chakrabarti was appointed Attorney General.
363
364Three new Minister of State positions were created and given the right to attend Cabinet:
365
366Barbara Keeley was appointed Minister of State for Mental Health and Social Care (Department of Health).
367
368Cat Smith was appointed Minister of State for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs (Cabinet Office)
369
370Sarah Champion was appointed Minister of State for England (Department for Communities and Local Government).
371
372A Number 10 statement from the Prime Minister after the formation of the Cabinet described the new team as "a diverse Cabinet of all the talents ready to take on the challenge of rebuilding Britain for the many, not the few."
373
374The First Days of Corbyn
375(1. Brexit)
376​
377The first day of Jeremy Corbyn's new Labour government was dominated by Brexit. The Prime Minister took a break from appointing junior ministers to deliver a statement on the new government's Brexit policy in a sign that the Government was "hitting the ground running" as a Number 10 spokesperson put it. 
378
379During his speech, the Prime Minister announced that the Government would guarantee the existing rights of EU citizens living in the UK in any and all Brexit outcomes. A no-deal Brexit was also ruled out an option and dismissed as the "worst possible" outcome for Britain.
380
381Jeremy Corbyn announced a delay to the start of negotiations had been achieved, and they would now begin on 11 September rather than 19 June. He also confirmed the date that the Government intended to delay Article 50's termination to - from Friday 29 March 2019 to Sunday 23 June 2019. That, he said, would be put to a vote by MPs as soon as possible before the next EU Council meeting on 22/23 June. The Government, he said, would seek to hold it's "final say" referendum on the negotiated deal in May 2019. 
382
383As for what that negotiated deal would include, the Prime Minister said the Government would seek to remain inside the European Economic Area after Brexit, but leave the European Union Customs Union. Acknowledging questions over the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the Prime Minister said the Government would negotiate a "time-limited transition period during which we would remain inside a customs union with the EU to facilitate a frictionless border". The UK would apply for membership of the European Free Trade Association, to take effect upon the end of the transition period. 
384
385In addition, the UK would leave the Common Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy, the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and would remain outside of the Schengen Area. Whilst freedom of movement would continue, the option of invoking the existing "emergency brake" provisions available to countries like Norway would always be there. In the meantime, the government would seek to make sure the real facts on immigration are known and that the benefits of immigration are felt. 
386
387The UK's participation in EU research projects, like Horizon 2020, would continue, as would participation in Euratom and the European Medicines Agency. British participation in Erasmus would also be sought, in addition to participation in Eurojust, Europol and the European Arrest Warrant scheme. 
388
389A 'presumption of devolution' would be brought in, Corbyn said, where devolved powers transferred from the EU will go straight to the relevant region or nation. Continued British sovereignty over Gibraltar would continue.
390
391Labour's Brexit would be a "jobs first Brexit," the Prime Minister said. "There will be some who will tell you that Brexit is a disaster for this country and some who will tell you that Brexit will create a land of milk and honey. The truth is that it’s in our hands: Brexit is what we make of it together."
392
393The First Days of Corbyn
394​
395After all excitement of the Prime Minister's Brexit speech on day one of his premiership, the Government set to work on the other areas it wanted to prioritise. The Treasury scheduled an emergency budget for Wednesday 12 July. Diane Abbott, the Home Secretary, scheduled a speech on immigration and the new Education Secretary, Angela Rayner, scheduled a speech to launch the government's National Education Service initiative. 
396
397For the Prime Minister himself, dealing with foreign affairs did not end after his Brexit speech. Calls with foreign leaders continued. After speaking to Chancellor Merkel and President Macron on the day of his arrival at Number 10, it was time to talk to others. First was President Trump. Downing Street said the Prime Minister was congratulated on his appointed and that the two men had a "frank" discussion about climate change and the Middle East, with Corbyn confirming to the President the Government's intention to recognise the State of Palestine within days. The two men agreed that there should be reform in the United Nations. Corbyn also reaffirmed the UK's pledge to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence, and he urged the United States to meet the 0.7% of GNI on aid target as a matter of urgency. 
398
399During phone calls to Malcolm Turnbull, Justin Trudeau and Narendra Modi, Corbyn remarked that he looked forward to meeting them all at the earliest opportunity and welcoming them to London in 2018 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting. With Leo Varadkar, both men congratulated each other on their appointments as head of government in their respective countries and agreed to meet soon to discuss Brexit and the Irish border.
400
401State Opening of Parliament
402​
40319 JUNE 2017: Less than a week after becoming Prime Minister it was time for Jeremy Corbyn to formally present his agenda to Parliament through The Queen's Speech. The dress down ceremony saw the Corbyn government unveil bills on housing, immigration, Brexit, welfare, schools, the NHS, climate change and the constitution. 
404
405Pledges to build a million new homes, 100,000 new council and housing association homes, reform the immigration system, replace the 'Great Repeal Bill' with an 'EU Rights and Protections Bill' and reforming the pensions and benefit system were some of the big headline moments from the speech. Also headlining were commitments to a constitutional convention, a referendum on the electoral system, reforming the House of Lords and lowering the voting age. 
406
407Opening the debate on the speech in the Commons, the Prime Minister said that his agenda for the year ahead, combined with the upcoming budget, was 'putting our commitment to rebuilding Britain for everyone at the heart of our legislative programme'. Opposition Leader Theresa May said the that speech demonstrated the Government's 'inability to do what is needed to guide Britain through Brexit and change our United Kingdom for the better'. 
408
409Speaking on the BBC, Chancellor John McDonnell said that The Queen's Speech was 'the first phase of the resetting of Britain' and that 'my budget in a month's time will be the second phase as we unveil our economic agenda for a new Britain'.