Conservatives set to win massive majority in UK election: exit poll

The exit poll results is projected onto Broadcasting House in London, Britain, on Dec. 12, 2019. An exit poll published after voting closed in the British election on Thursday night suggested the Conservatives are on course to win a massive Parliamentary majority. (Photo by Jeff Overs/BBC handout via Xinhua)

LONDON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- An exit poll published after voting closed in the British election on Thursday night suggested the Conservatives are on course to win a massive Parliamentary majority.

The results of the poll were released by Britain's main television organizations as soon as thousands of polling stations across Britain closed at 10 p.m. local time.

Based on interviews at more than 140 polling stations, the exit poll gave Prime Minister Boris Johnson's governing Conservatives 368 seats in the 650-member House of Commons and the main opposition Labour 191 seats.

If the results of the exit poll turn out to be accurate, Conservatives would have an 86-seat majority in the Commons.

It would be enough to give Johnson the majority he needs to pave the way for Britain's exit from the European Union (EU) on Jan. 31, 2020.

Previous exit polls have usually proved to be an accurate litmus test of what to expect when the results start to pour in during the early hours of Friday from the 650 constituencies across Britain.

The exit poll gave the minority Liberal Democrats 13 seats while Nigel Farage's Brexit Party will win no seat. The Scottish National Party would have 55 seats.

More than 20,000 people were asked how they voted as they left polling stations.