Workers Party for Britain leader George Galloway has lost to Labour in Rochdale, after winning the seat at a March by-election.

Former political journalist Paul Waugh wins for Labour.

Just a note - this result is still described as a Labour hold because it's compared to the result at the last election in 2019.

George Galloway has been beaten in Rochdale.

The seat was won by Labour’s Paul Waugh.

Mr Galloway, representing the Workers Party of Britain, snatched the Greater Manchester seat from Labour at a by-election in February.

Labour has gained Leigh & Atherton from the Conservatives after a huge 16.7% swing.

Jo Platt has become the first MP to sit in the newly-created constituency in Wigan, with a majority of more than 8,000 votes.

Reform UK beat the Tories into second place.

Radio Manchester reporter Gary Drinkwater is at the count in Rochdale. He says he has heard there is going to be a recount.

This could be hugely significant - the seat was won by George Galloway for Workers Party of Britain in a heated by-election in February, which followed the death of veteran Labour MP Tony Lloyd.

Labour candidate for Worsley and Eccles, Michael Wheeler, went to primary school within his constituency.

He said it "would be humbling for people to have put their faith in me,” he told BBC Radio Manchester.

Referring to the likelihood of Labour returning to power at Westminster, he added: "It looks like we’ll have that change we’ve wanted.

"The polls [throughout the campaign] have been extraordinary. The exit poll has been extraordinary. I thought we’d do well, I hoped we’d do well, but it's [even] better than expected."

A result is expected shortly in Leigh and Atherton, a new constituency created in Wigan, Greater Manchester.

Turnout there is 51.7%, down from 60.9% in 2019.

Conservative candidate Michael Winstanley said Reform UK had "tuned into the issues people care about, like immigration.

"People are a bit disillusioned after 14 years of the Conservatives. We have tried to deal with that but it’s not been enough."

Lee Moffitt, the Reform UK candidate in Gorton and Denton, said he left the Conservative Party as he feels they have not stuck to their promises.

He said Reform leader Nigel Farage was now the politician that resonates most with him.

A relaxed Lisa Nandy, who is fighting to retain Wigan for Labour, has said: "I will never stop fighting for people in towns like Wigan.

"It feels like a coming home tonight because it feels like something has shifted in the public mood."

Said she "might have a pint" as her first objective for Wigan.

Kaleigh Watterson
BBC Cheshire political reporter

Good evening from Macclesfield Leisure Centre. Here two counts are taking place - Macclesfield and Tatton. Both of these constituencies have traditionally been strong Tory seats.

Macclesfield has been Conservative since 1918. And in the last 100 years, it’s only had five different MPs.

Both parties have been focusing on this seat - over the campaign we saw visits from Rishi Sunak and Lord Cameron for the Conservatives and Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner for Labour. Labour sources this evening seem confident that they could win here.

Meanwhile, Tatton is a slightly newer seat, dating from the 1980s. But in that time, it has only not had a Conservative MP once - that was in 1997 when independent Martin Bell won on his anti-sleaze campaign.

It’s been held by big names like George Osborne and, most recently, cabinet minister Esther McVey.So could these two true blue seats turn red this evening? An interesting few hours awaits us.

Paul Burnell
Reporter, BBC News Online

Labour is looking set to regain seats such as Leigh and Heywood & Middleton North, both lost to the Tories in the 2019 election.

The so-called red wall seats where voters were said to have "loaned" their votes to Boris Johnson's Tories, hang on a thread with the Conservatives holding a 293 lead in Leigh and a 680 vote lead in Heywood.

Marginals such as Bolton North East, Bury North and Bury South - where the majority was around the 1,000 mark look precarious for the Conservatives.

Even Altrincham and Sale West - where Tory grandee Sir Graham Brady has stepped down - could topple despite their 6,139 majority.

Meanwhile there is an intriguing drama in Rochdale where George Galloway in his Workers Party incarnation grabbed the seat from Labour in a by-election earlier this year.

Sir Keir Starmer's Labour have won a big victory - here's a guide to understanding what it all means.

There's a bit of a foodie theme across Greater Manchester - those satays look decent!

A splendid array of pies on offer for the hungry media pack covering the count in Rochdale tonight.

Labour is forecast to win 410 seats, with the Conservatives on 131.

You can keep up to date with the national picture here.

Welcome to our general election results night coverage for Greater Manchester and eastern Cheshire.

BBC Radio Manchester has reporters at the counts and you can follow all the election developments as they happen here on the BBC News website and app.

You can find out more about how to follow the election on the BBC here.

Tenants say they are devastated after being told by their social housing landlord to move out.

The firm behind plans for Manchester's tallest skyscraper says it will be highest in Western Europe.

A family of eight say they fear the state of their Rochdale home is damaging their children's health.

The money will help nurture the bogs, which trap carbon dioxide and could help slow climate change.