The British election is a story of how the media in England and America tried to sway an election. The media bias has become unbearable and must be counteracted.

TOGETHER WE'LL MAKE GREAT BRITAIN GREATER STILL: Cameron hails shock Tory outright majority as Miliband, Clegg and Farage all QUIT. SNP wins near clean-sweep of seats in Scotland

• FINAL RESULT: Tories 331 (up 25), Labour 232 (down 24), SNP 56 (up 50), Lib Dems 8 (down 48), Ukip 1 (down 1) 
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• David Cameron has secured an overall Commons majority, vowing to implement the Tory manifesto in full
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• In the best Conservative result for more than 20 years, Prime Minister visited the Queen to confirm his victory
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• Ed Miliband resigned with immediate effect after taking Labour to its worst result for three decades under Kinnock
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• Nigel Farage resigned as Ukip leader after failing to become an MP in Thanet South but could stage a comeback
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• Lib Dems left with only 8 MPs, leading Nick Clegg to resign after a 'cruel and punishing' night for his party
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• Big political names ousted by voters include Ed Balls, Vince Cable, Ed Davey, Jo Swinson and Esther McVey
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• Nicola Sturgeon's SNP swept to a stunning victory across Scotland, winning all but three of Scotland's 59 seats 
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By MATT CHORLEY, POLITICAL EDITOR and TOM MCTAGUE, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 16:01 EST, 7 May 2015 | UPDATED: 09:58 EST, 8 May 2015

David Cameron today vowed to make Great Britain 'greater still' as he set out how he will use his shock outright Tory majority to ensure the 'good life is in reach for everyone who's willing to work and do the right thing'.

The Prime Minister used a statement outside Number 10 to pay tribute to both Labour's Ed Miliband and his former Lib Dem deputy Nick Clegg who have both resigned after suffering heavy losses in one of the most unpredictable election results for a generation. 

The three political leaders then emerged, barley an hour later, to stand side by side at the Cenotaph to commemorate the 70th anniversary of VE Day. 

Mr Cameron had earlier emerged from Number 10 to declare he was forming a majority Tory government after routing Labour and the Lib Dems in the biggest electoral shock in living memory.

The PM returned to Number 10 with his wife Samantha after making the short trip to Buckingham Palace for a meeting with the Queen to confirm what he described as the 'sweetest victory of all'.

Big political names including Ed Balls, Vince Cable, Ed Davey, Doulgas Alexander, David Laws, Jim Murphy and Esther McVey all lost their seats as the political map of Britain was dramatically redrawn with vast swathes of Tory blue and SNP yellow.

In an incredible night of political drama, Labour suffered a bloodbath in Scotland and failed to make any gains in England. Mr Miliband said he accepted 'absolute and total responsibility' for the electoral disaster, and resigned with immediate effect. His deputy Harriet Harman also announced she will stand aside.

Mr Clegg, who was left as just one of eight MPs to survive the near-destruction of the Lib Dems, also resigned - admitting he had led the party to its worst ever defeat.

It came after Ukip's Nigel Farage threw in the towel within minutes of receiving confirmation that he had lost his bid to enter Parliament. But in a surprise announcement Mr Farage suggested he could return as party leader in the Autumn.

Mr Cameron said he would use the 331 MPs he will have in the Commons to implement the Tory manifesto in full, promising more apprenticeships, income tax cuts and an in-out referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.

But he also signaled that he would sign off a massive devolution of powers to Scotland, after Nicola Sturgeon's SNP stunned everyone to win 56 of 59 seats in Scotland.

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The Prime Minister and his wife Samantha are applauded by staff after returning to Number 10 to begin his second term as Prime Minister

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Victory: David Cameron addresses the nation from outside Number 10 after meeting the Queen to confirm he has secured an overall majority, which few pollsters, commentators or even Tories thought was possible

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Just oevr 66 per cent of voters turned out for yesterday's general election - the highest since 1997 when Tony Blair swept to power

LATE SURGE IN VOTER REGISTRATION SPARKS BIGGEST TURNOUT SINCE '97

The most unpredictable election campaign in living memory led to a bumper election turnout with 66.1 per cent of the electorate casting their votes – the highest number in 18 years.

Just 65 per cent voted in 2010, up from 61 per cent in 2005 and only 59 per cent in 2001.

It was the biggest turnout since the Labour landslide of 1997 which saw 71 per cent of the electorate voting to replace John Major with Labour’s Tony Blair.

The prospect of a hung parliament – with the SNP possibly holding the balance of power – appears to have encouraged a late surge in people registering to vote. In total, some 469,047 registered to vote online on the final day for registration.

Voting was particularly high in Scotland with figures suggesting some 71.1 per cent headed to the polls – following last year’s referendum.

In Dunbartonshire East and Renfrewshire East, which were both SNP gains from Labour, turnout topped more than 80 per cent.

In contrast just 46 per cent of people voted in Manchester Central, the lowest in the country where Lucy Powell held for Labour. 

For weeks opinion polls had suggested Labour and the Conservatives were neck and neck, but it soon became clear that so-called 'shy Tories' had swung behind Mr Cameron to deliver him the majority which eluded him five years ago.

He will face a challenge passing legislation which relies on the right-wing backbenchers who had been outnumbered by the Lib Dems in the coalition.

But he insisted that he would rather have an outright majority - all be a slender one - to implement his reform plans in full.

While the Tories celebrate, Labour, the Lib Dems and Ukip were left licking their wounds and contemplating what went wrong - and who could reverse their fortunes as a new leader.

Mr Miliband announced he was quitting as Labour leader after calling Mr Cameron to congratulate him on his extraordinary election victory.

He insisted he took full responsibility for the dreadful night of results, which saw big Labour names including Ed Balls, Douglas Alexander and Jim Murphy swept out by the Tories and the SNP.

He thanked his supporters for their backing, selfies and the 'most unlikely cult ever' Milifandom, as he confirmed Harriet Harman will take over as acting leader. 

'I am truly sorry I did not succeed. I did my best for five years,' he said. 'We've come back before and this party will come back again.'

In the final days of a much-mocked campaign he pinned his hopes of victory on an interview with Russell Brand and carving his pledges onto an 8ft, £30,000 slab of limestone to convince voters he could be trusted at the helm of the nation.

But in result after result, he saw voters reject his plan to take Britain to the left, suffering heavy losses in Scotland, Wales and England.

The full-scale of the electoral disaster became clear just before 8.30am when shadow chancellor Ed Balls lost his seat to the Tories by just 422 votes.

Mr Miliband took on his brother David for the Labour leadership, tearing his family in half because he thought he would do a better job.

But the electorate disagreed, with no poll ever showing that they could see the bacon sandwich-eating, two kitchen-owning, millionaire socialist as Prime Minister. 

With the world's media gathered in Downing Street, a visibly relieved Mr Cameron said he wanted to finish the job of fixing Britain's economy.

The Prime Minister said: ‘When I stood here five years ago – our country was in the grip of an economic crisis. Five years on Britain is so much stronger.

‘But the real opportunities lie ahead. Everything I’ve seen over the last five years and indeed over this election campaign has proved once again that this is a country with unrivalled skills and creativeness. A country with such good humour and such great compassion.

‘I’m convinced that if we can draw on all of this, then we can take these islands with our proud history and build an even prouder future – together we can make Great Britain greater still.’ 

Mr Cameron was in his ministerial car making the short trip from Downing Street to the Palace at 12.30pm, when news through that the Tories had officially secured the 326 seats needed for an outright majority. 

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With the world's media gathered in Downing Street, a visibly relieved Mr Cameron said he wanted to finish the job of fixing Britain's economy

Just minutes earlier a dejected Mr Miliband told supporters at the party’s HQ that he was to blame for the defeat but insisted he had fought the right campaign.

He said: 'I believe Britain needed a Labour government and I still do, but the public decided otherwise. Now it’s time for someone else to take leadership of this party. So I am tendering my resignation.'

Mr Miliband quit with the final results still to be called – but the Tories on course to win 331 seats, giving them a surprise five-seat majority.

Labour is expected to finish with just 232 MPs, down 24, in its worst result since Neil Kinnock lost to Margaret Thatcher in 1987. The Lib Dems finished with just eight seats in its worst ever electoral defeat.

Mr Clegg, who spent five years as Deputy Prime Minister but voters reject his decision to enter government, admitted it had been a 'cruel and punishing night'.

Mr Cameron used his speech to pay warm tribute to his two rivals with whom he has traded blows in a fraught, and often deeply personal election campaign.

He said: ‘I have just been to see Her Majesty the Queen and I will now form a majority Conservative government. I've been proud to lead the first Coalition government in 70 years and I want to thank all those who worked so hard to make it a success. And in particular on this day, Nick Clegg.

‘Elections can be bruising clashes of ideas and arguments and a lot of people who believe profoundly in public service have seen that service cut short.

‘Ed Miliband rang me this morning to wish me luck with the new government. It was a typically generous gesture from someone who is clearly in public service for all the right reasons.'

He said he hoped to build on the 'foundations' laid by the coaliton government, but able to implement the Tory manifesto in full without having to compromise with a coalition partner.

Britain, he said, is 'on the brink of something special'. 'We can make Britain a place where a good life is in reach for everyone who is willing to ork and do the right thing. Our manifesto is a manifesto for working people and as a majority government we will be able to deliver all of it.

‘Indeed it is the reason why I think majority government is more accountable.’

But he also acknowledged the extraordinary surge in Scottish nationalism, which left the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems with just a single MP each north of the border. 

Promising to 'bring our country together', Mr Cameron vowed to 'govern as a party of one nation – one United Kingdom'. ‘That means ensuring this recovery reaches all parts of our country – from north to south, from east to west – and indeed it means rebalancing our economy. Building that northern powerhouse.

‘It means giving everyone in our country a chance, so no matter where you are from you have the opportunity to make the most of your life. It means giving the poorest people the chance of training – a job and hope for the future.

‘It means for children who don’t get the best start in life, there must be the nursery education and good schooling that can transform their life chances.

‘And of course it means bringing together the different nations of our United Kingdom. I have always believed in government with respect – that’s why in the last parliament we devolved power to Scotland and Wales and gave the people of Scotland a referendum on whether to stay within the United Kingdom.'

He promised to 'stay true to my word and implement as fast as I can the devolution that all parties agreed for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland'.

It would mean handing new tax, benefit and legal powers to the Scottish Parliament, making it the 'strongest devolved government anywhere in the world – with important powers over taxation.’

But in a nod to future laws banning Scottish MPs from voting on English issues, Mr Cameron added: ‘No constitutional settlement will be complete if it did not also offer fairness to England.’ 

In a night of surprises, the SNP's rise was one of the most striking, picking up 50 seats to move to 56 MPs, while Plaid Cymru stayed level on three, Ukip lost one of its two seats and the Greens held their only seat in Brighton.

After the scale of the Tory victory became clear, Mr Cameron this morning declared his intention to 'govern for everyone in our United Kingdom' - a recognition of extraordinary gains by the SNP, which almost swept the board in Scotland.

He told cheering Conservative activists at the party’s London HQ that the result was ‘a great victory’, adding: ‘I remember 1992 and that was an amazing victory. I remember 2010 achieving that dream of getting Labour out and getting the Tories back in.’ But he added: ‘But I think this is the sweetest victory of all.’

In Scotland, the SNP tide has swept aside Labour and Lib Dem big beasts including Jim Murphy and Douglas Alexander in a tide of nationalism which has already sparked calls for a second independence referendum.

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SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, pictured as Edinburgh airport after making huge gains in Scotland now has all but three of the 59 MPs north of the border

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Ms Sturgeon flew into London this afternoon to join other party leaders for ceremonies in London to mark the 70th anniversary of VE Day

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