INSTANT VIEW-British PM Johnson heads for big Brexit election win

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on course to win Thursday's election comfortably, giving him the numbers in parliament needed to pass his Brexit divorce deal next month, according to an exit poll on Thursday. Below is early reaction:

BORIS JOHNSON, PRIME MINISTER "I hope you enjoy a celebration tonight," he said in an email to party members. "You powered this campaign. We couldn’t have done it without you."

JOHN MCDONNELL, LABOUR SHADOW CHANCELLOR "We'll see the results in the morning and then decision will be made."

Asked if it was now over for him and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, McDonnell said: "Let's see the results themselves, as I say the appropriate decisions will be made." JOHN BERCOW, FORMER HOUSE OF COMMONS SPEAKER

"That would be a phenomenal victory for the Conservative Party and Boris Johnson will feel completely vindicated with the gamble that he took. That would be an absolutely dramatic victory." BARRY GARDINER, LABOUR PARTY TRADE SPOKESMAN

"If that is the case then obviously it's a devastating result for us." JAMES CLEVERLY, CONSERVATIVE PARTY CHAIRMAN

"I've always felt that polls should be taken with a degree of caution. We've seen over a number of electoral events in the last few years they've called it wrong." "I've been cautious of poll results when they look good, I'm cautious of poll results when they look bad. So we'll see how the seats actually roll out before we get too excited.

"If, big if, the numbers play out as per that exit poll then that is numerically a big majority but we'll want to see if it plays out." PRITI PATEL, INTERIOR MINISTER

"Getting Brexit done is the priority. The deal is there. It is good to go. We need to move forward. We are not waiting. We want to end this paralysis. But let's see what the results bring this evening." NAOMI SMITH, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE PRO-EUROPEAN CAMPAIGN GROUP BEST FOR BRITAIN

"While this exit poll isn’t promising, the influence of tactical voting at this election has yet to be revealed. "Let’s be clear: a majority for Boris Johnson tonight would engulf the UK in a fresh crisis. There is no Brexit deal, only an agreement to talk about a deal in the future."

PAUL DALES, CHIEF UK ECONOMIST, CAPITAL ECONOMICS "If the official result hands Johnson a majority as big as the exit poll suggests, there’s scope for him to ignore the Brexiteers in his party and provide businesses with some certainty by quickly extending the transition period."

(Compiled by UK Bureau. Editing by William James and Mike Collett-White)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)