Miliband admits bad night for Labour, stops short of conceding defeat

Labour party leader Ed Miliband has admitted the general election had been a “disappointing” one for his party.

Miliband comfortably held his Doncaster seat with 20,708 votes as the results were posted on Friday but wider trends across the UK pointed to the Conservatives emerging as the largest party, providing incumbent Prime Minister David Cameron with a platform to continue in government.

“It's been a disappointing and difficult night for Labour. I am deeply sorry for what's happened in Scotland [where the party has been annihilated by the SNP],” Miliband said.

Short of conceding, he said the “next government should be representative of all people in the UK” before heading down to London to await the final results.

Meanwhile, a string of media reports from Sky News, BBC and the New Statesman citing “Labour party sources” said Miliband is likely to announce his resignation later on Friday. However, a Labour party spokesman declined comment when contacted by Sharecast.