Exit polls by the BBC and YouGov put Conservatives ahead of Labour by 77 and 21 seats respectively, but Mr Burnham remains optimistic.

Rochdale’s Conservative candidate Azi Ahmed has revealed she’s not surprised that the Tories are currently a whisker away from an overall majority according to BBC’s exit poll.

Mr Crasuby, who has represented the constituency since 1997, said he usually goes into election counts expecting to lose.

Emma Van Dyke (Salford and Eccles) and Chris Bertenshaw (Worsley and Eccles South) were speaking at the count in Salford.

The shadow deputy health minister told MM how his day started with some 5am leaflet distribution, but ended up in hospital, where he was forced to obtain an emergency proxy vote for a stricken family member.

We’ll be keeping you bang up to date all night with the latest results and reaction from across Greater Manchester and beyond.

Mancunian Matters will be bringing you live coverage of the General Election throughout the night.

Flying under the radar in MM’s own backyard are a number of remarkable stories, one of which revolves around a man called Jeff Smith.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 12 months, you probably don’t need reminding that the General Election takes place this Thursday, May 7th.

If you’re fed up of Farage bored, miffed at Miliband and critical of Clegg and Cameron then maybe it’s time to find out about the array of minor parties vying for your vote across Greater Manchester Thursday.

Spitting Image, Private Eye and That Was The Week That Was have all provided comic relief from politics and this year’s race for Number 10 has a given rise to viral satire like never before.