Conservatives set to win UK polls again

David Cameron is all set to return to 10 Downing Street after his Conservative Party (Tories) secured 324 out of 650 seats after counting of votes in 640 constituencies have been completed. The Tories defied forecasts of a hung parliament, gaining votes in England and Wales.

BBC forecast the Conservatives to secure 331 seats in the Commons, giving them a slender majority.

Reports, meanwhile, said Labour leader Ed Miliband is expected to step down after Labour was all but wiped out by the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) in Scotland. Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls has lost his seat to the Conservatives.

The SNP ousted Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy in a landslide general election victory in Scotland, winning 56 seats. Labour's Douglas Alexander, and Liberal Democrats' (Lib Dems) Danny Alexander and Charles Kennedy also lost to the SNP.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg is also expected to quit with his party was set to be reduced from 57 to eight MPs. The party sustained heavy losses across the board, including business secretary Vince Cable and education minister David Laws. Party leader Nick Clegg held his Sheffield Hallam seat.

"This is clearly a very strong night for the Conservative Party. We've had a positive response to a positive campaign," said Conservative leader David Cameron.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said, "This has clearly been a very difficult and disappointing night for the Labour Party."

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said, "It is now painfully clear this has been a cruel and punishing night for the Liberal Democrats. The election has profound implications for the country and for the Liberal Democrats."

UKIP (formerly UK Independence Party) leader Nigel Farage called for "real, genuine, radical reform" and said that on a personal level, he felt "like an enormous weight has been lifted from my shoulders".

SNP's Alex Salmond: "There's going to be a lion roaring tonight, a Scottish lion, and it's going to roar with a voice that no government of whatever political complexion is going to be able to ignore"

Green Party leader Natalie Bennett: "I am immensely proud to have led the party into a general election where we have been able to stand more Green candidates than ever before and saved a record number of deposits.