Conservatives secure majority, SNP sweeps to Scotland victory, while Lib Dems and Labour suffer heavy losses

Houses of Parliament

The Conservative party has secured a shock majority in the general election, returning David Cameron to Downing Street.

The Conservatives have secured at least 325 seats in the Commons with just a handful of seats still to declare, giving the party enough seats to form a slender majority government.

Labour leader Ed Miliband, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and UKIP leader Nigel Farage all resigned today after it became clear all three parties had lost ground in the election.

The unexpectedly decisive outcome is likely to bring relief to many in the construction industry.

Ahead of the election this week industry leaders had expressed fears a hung parliament would result in a hiatus in construction and infrastructure investment, while recent economic surveys suggested construction activity had already begun to slow in anticipation of an uncertain election outcome.

The SNP swept to victory in Scotland, picking up 56 seats on the back of huge swings from Labour.

In the coming hours, days and weeks, the construction industry will start to chew over what the election outcome means for the sector.

Among some of the possible impacts, the dramatic rejection of the unionist parties in Scotland is likely to result in greater devolution of powers to the country.

Meanwhile the absence of the Liberal Democrats from government is likely to have an impact on climate change and energy policies, previously championed by the Liberal Democrats and its energy secretary Ed Davey, who was among the senior Liberal Democrat MPs to lose his seat last night.