Image source, Reuters

Canadians went to the polls yesterday in an election that largely shaped up to be a two-party race between Liberal leader Mark Carney and his Conservative counterpart, Pierre Poilievre.

The main takeaways: Carney won the election, in what the BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet describes as an "unthinkable turnaround" for the Liberals. The former central banker will continue on as prime minister, having taken on the role last month following Justin Trudeau's resignation. His party is projected to win 168 seats - but it needs 172 to form a majority government.

Were there any upsets? There were a couple of notable setbacks. Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the NDP, a left-leaning party, resigned after eight years at the helm. He also conceded his riding in British Columbia. Similarly, defeated Conservative leader Poilievre, who was ahead of the Liberals in 2024 polling, is projected to lose his seat in Carleton, Ontario.

What's next? In his victory speech, Carney said he and US President Donald Trump would, in the coming days, "discuss the future of the two sovereign and independent nations". Parliament is also set to open, though the date is yet to be confirmed, and members will be sworn in and a speaker elected.

Image source, Getty Images

Stephen Harper, a Conservative and Canadian prime minister from 2006 to 2015, has congratulated Mark Carney on his victory.

"I wish him, and the government he will lead, success as they navigate our country forward during these challenging times," Harper says in a post on X.

Carney worked as Bank of Canada governor between 2008 and 2013. During the election campaign, Harper accused the former central banker of taking too much credit for guiding Canada's response to the 2008 global financial crisis.

He then endorsed Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre and campaigned for him in Alberta, after not campaigning in the 2019 or 2021 federal elections. Poilievre was a minister in Harper's government between 2013 and 2015.

Turning his attention to Poilievre, who has been projected to lose his seat to a Liberal candidate as well as the election overall, Harper says: "I also want to congratulate Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party of Canada on making significant gains, both in seats and popular vote, and bringing an entire new generation of Canadians to the Conservative Party."

Elections Canada paused counting ballots overnight - with a handful of ridings still too close to call - but they restarted their marathon session about 15 minutes ago at 09:30 local time (14:30 BST).

In addition to calling seats, Elections Canada also provides routine updates on voter turnout.

As it stands, Elections Canada reports that 19,155,470 of 28,525,638 registered electors (that's 67.15%) have cast ballots.

As votes continue to be counted, this number could still change.

For now, though, here's a look at how that figure so far compares to previous elections:

Image source, Reuters

In this election, the smaller political parties have taken a hit as Canadians choose to park their votes with either the Liberals or the Conservatives - especially the left-wing New Democrats, or NDP.

But the Greens have also seen their vote share cut in half - from 2% to 1%.

Green co-leader Elizabeth May is set to return to the House of Commons after securing a win in her British Columbia riding.

May has won by 5,351 votes in Saanich-Gulf Islands, narrowly defeating Liberal candidate David James Beckham.

On the other hand, her party's co-leader, Jonathan Pedneault, was defeated in his Quebec riding of Outremont.

It's been a difficult election for the Greens, as Canada's relationship with the US took centre stage in the face of tariff threats and environmental issues were put on the backburner.

Image source, Getty Images

Once the champagne from the last night's celebrations dries out, there will be little pomp and circumstance before Canada's next prime minister gets back to work.

After all, Mark Carney has already had his feet under the prime ministerial desk since he took over from Justin Trudeau in mid-January.

This means that the Liberal leader does not need to be sworn in again following his victory overnight.

Carney's cabinet will also continue to do their jobs - until the leader decides to reshuffle his cabinet, when there will be a ceremony with Canada's Governor General.

Then, when Parliament opens again following the election - on a date yet to be confirmed - members will be sworn in and a Speaker will be elected.

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As we wait to hear Donald Trump’s reaction to Canada’s federal election result, an outspoken critic of the US president has just offered his support to Mark Carney.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford - who has previously threatened to hike electricity prices for Americans in response to Trump’s tariff threats - uses his congratulatory message to the PM to urge him to help tackle the “uncertainty” created by those threats.

In a statement, Ford says his province "stands ready" to work with Carney's government "to unleash our economy by cutting red tape", and calls on Carney to make several commitments:

• Promote “economic integration” across Canada by removing internal trade barriers
• This means approving “nation-building infrastructure” like pipelines and railways in order to “reduce reliance on the US”
• Support Ontario as it looks to “build the future of nuclear” including “the first small modular reactors in the G7”
• Meet national defence commitments by exceeding Canada’s Nato spending target of 2% of GDP (this is something the PM has pledged to do)

Our colleagues are covering Trump's first 100 days in office on another live page - and we'll bring you the president's reaction to the Canadian election here as soon as we get it.

Image source, Reuters

It's been an election with many twists and turns, including Jagmeet Singh's announcement that he is stepping down as the leader of the left-leaning New Democratic Party after his party saw a decline in its seat count.

"It's a disappointing night for New Democrats," a visibly emotional Singh said after the results came in overnight on Tuesday.

Singh - the first ethnic minority politician to lead a major federal party in Canada - has served as the leader of the left-wing party for eight years. A practising Sikh, he was born in Scarborough, Ontario, to Indian immigrants from the state of Punjab.

The former provincial Ontario legislator and lawyer by training took the helm of the party in 2017 despite no previous experience in federal politics.

The 2025 poll was his third federal election campaign which saw some of the lowest levels of support for the NDP in years. Throughout his campaign, he attacked both Carney and US President Donald Trump, promising that only the NDP could be trusted to look out for ordinary Canadians.

Last September, the NDP became the last of Canada's three main opposition parties to turn on Trudeau, with Singh accusing him of "caving" to corporate greed.

Image source, EPA

Mark Carney's Liberals appear to have been elected in great part due to the PM's pledges to lead the resistance against growing antagonism from US President Donald Trump - but he also promised to address a range of domestic issues.

Here are five things Canada's returning prime minister has said he will do:

1. Amid a housing shortage and skyrocketing prices, Carney says he will build twice as money homes every year to boost the market and lower costs
2. He has proposed a tax cut for those in the lowest bracket, who should see their rate reduce from 15% to 14%, to ease consumer pain
3. He has said he wants to turn "Canada into an energy superpower" and reduce reliance on US energy by expanding Canada's energy infrastructure
4. Carney has vowed to raise defence spending to 2% of Canada's GDP, up from last year's 1.4%
5. He wants to boost domestic trade and car-making, announcing a plan to make more car parts in Canada and to invest five billion Canadian dollars (£2.7bn; $3.6bn) in roads and other infrastructure

What else has Carney promised action on?

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The Conservatives appear to have not only lost the federal election, but their leader - Pierre Poilievre - is also projected to have lost his own seat, where he represents Carleton, Ontario.

Having lost his riding (parliamentary seat) in the House of Commons, Poilievre still remains the de facto Conservative leader.

That means, he will be allowed to enter and observe the House from the gallery but will not be participating in debates or votes on the floor. Those powers are reserved for elected members, according to the House of Commons website, external.

Poilievre will thus be limited to politicking from the sidelines, delegating debate and votes to other elected Conservatives.

Image source, Getty Images

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More world leaders have joined British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in congratulating Liberal candidate Mark Carney on his party's victory.

• European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen references the “strong” bond between Europe and Canada, before describing how she hopes to “champion free and fair trade” with Carney’s support
• French President Emmanuel Macron, meanwhile, uses the PM's own slogan to say he's looking forward “to working with you - ‘elbow to elbow!’”
• Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin echoes that sentiment, and says: "Irish-Canadian relations are deep and strong, based on shared values"
• Australian PM Anthony Albanese praises his Commonwealth partner, highlighting how "in a time of global uncertainty, I look forward to continuing to work with you to build on the enduring friendship"

Image source, Reuters

Some more international reaction is coming into us now, this time from another country that Canada has had a somewhat strained relationship with in recent years: China.

Its foreign ministry says it is "willing to develop" relations with Canada, but stops short of directly congratulating Carney on his win.

The Chinese foreign ministry says improved relations would be based on the principles of "mutual respect, equality, and mutual benefit".

Beijing and Ottawa have been at odds for several years, a period which began with the 2018 arrest of Meng Wanzhou, an executive from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.

China retaliated by arresting two Canadian executives, although it has denied this was the reason for their detention. All three were released in 2021 following a deal Meng struck with US prosecutors.

Other flashpoints in recent years include:

• Accusations of Chinese election interference in 2019 and 2021 - also denied by Beijing
• And the 2023 expulsion of a Chinese diplomat accused of targeting a Canadian politician critical of the Chinese government by Canada

Image source, Reuters

Diplomatic tensions between India and Canada have long been strained, but Indian PM Narendra Modi was quick this morning to offer his congratulations to Mark Carney.

Writing on X, Modi says the two nations have "shared democratic values, a steadfast commitment to the rule of law, and vibrant people-to-people ties".

"I look forward to working with you to strengthen our partnership and unlock greater opportunities for our people," he adds.

Diplomatic rows broke out under former Liberal PM Justin Trudeau, when in 2023 he accused India of being involved in the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

The fallout triggered diplomatic expulsions and a sharp breakdown in trust, but during the campaign Carney hinted at mending fences with India

For context: Canada hosts nearly 1.8 million Indo-Canadians and one million non-resident Indians, making up over 3% of its population. It is also home to an estimated 427,000 Indian students. Bilateral services trade between the two countries touched CAD 13.49bn (£7.27bn) in 2023.

• How relations between India and Canada hit rock bottom

Image source, Getty Images

One of the biggest shocks of election night saw Liberal MP Bruce Fanjoy take the seat of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who has been in parliament for more than two decades.

Fanjoy has been projected to take 51% of the vote in Carleton, Ontario, while Poilievre was able to secure only 46%.

Now, the new representative for Carleton has thanked his supporters for propelling him into office.

“To all the people of Carleton, as your new Member of Parliament, I’ll work to bring us together. We are all Canadian," Fanjoy says on social media.

"We have to look out for ourselves, and we have to take care of each other. Let’s get to work."

For more on Poilievre's disappointing night - and his future in politics - we shared this profile a little earlier on.

Seher Asaf
Live reporter (and Canadian)

In the lead-up to election day, Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre were at one point neck-and-neck in the polls.

But as the night unfolded in Canada's 10 provinces and three territories, it became clear that political newcomer and former banker Carney had led the Liberals from near political collapse to one of the most stunning comebacks in modern Canadian politics.

Here's a rundown of posts and articles on how the night unfolded and the main takeaways:

• Watch the moment supporters of the Liberal party learned that Carney was projected to win the election, and check out BBC reporter Nadine Yousif's interviews with the crowds gathered at the Liberal headquarters in Ottawa
• Meanwhile, the mood turned sombre at the Conservative headquarters following the projection, with supporters telling BBC's Nada Tawfik that they felt disheartened and unsettled by the result
• Carney's Liberals are leading in 168 seats but need 172 for a majority - and it still remains too close to call whether they'll secure a majority. View our detailed breakdown of the numbers behind the vote so far
• The Liberals secured a victory despite largely being written off last year - here's a detailed look at why the party won
• Carney's win comes under the spectre of Trump's tariff and 51st state threats. BBC's North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher delves into the Trump effect and how it shaped Canada's election

An unthinkable turnaround for the Liberals and Carneypublished at 11:34 British Summer Time 29 April

11:34 BST 29 April

Lyse Doucet
Chief international correspondent, in Ottowa

What an extraordinary moment in Canadian political history.

The Liberal party, which only months ago was trailing in the polls by double digits, led by prime minister - a former banker who until months ago had no political experience - winning a fourth term in office.

It's an unthinkable turnaround and it's a measure of this moment - an election where Donald Trump, a person whose name wasn't on the ballot, transformed Canada's political landscape.

Not just the tariffs he's imposed, but also the continuing threat to turn Canada into the 51st state has galvanised Canadians.

He's caused some to change their usual voting loyalties in order to put in charge a 60-year-old economist who they believe is the man to solve what Mark Carney dubbed the "crisis of their lifetime".

In his victory speech, while he thanked his supporters, he also mentioned he would be the prime minister for all Canadians - recognising that there were millions who didn't vote him.

Image source, Getty Images

We're now hearing from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who sends his congratulations to the prime minister of Canada - a country with the second largest Ukrainian diaspora after Russia.

In a post on X, he says "Ukraine deeply values our close ties with Canada and the unwavering support of the Canadian people".

Zelenksy adds his country is grateful for Canada's "principled leadership" in supporting Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion three years ago.

The Ukrainian leader hails the military, financial, and humanitarian aid, as well as Canada's role of imposing sanctions against Russia.

Johanna Chisholm
Live page editor (and Canadian)

Canada is still counting votes - and the country's national broadcaster CBC says it'll be a few more hours before we can confirm whether it’s a majority or minority government.

If the Liberals clear the threshold of 172 seats, they’ll secure a majority government. This will give them a stronger mandate and means they won’t need to lean on other parties in parliament to pass legislation.

If they get less than 172 seats – as they did under Justin Trudeau in 2021 – they’ll need the support of other parties.

Elections happen all around the world, but there are some parallels that can be drawn with the UK and Canada, as both operate under what's called a Westminster Parliamentary system.

Our UK readers will be familiar with the current prospect - as something similar happened in the 2010 general election, when David Cameron’s Conservatives formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats after failing to win a majority.

As things stand now, the Liberals are projected to win 168 – meaning they’re still four seats shy of a majority government.

With the news that Pierre Poilievre is projected to lose his seat, here's a reminder of what he said in his concession speech a little bit earlier in his riding of Carleton, Ontario:

• The Conservative leader said his party must learn the lessons of the election, adding that "change is needed but it's hard to come by"
• He described the results as a "virtual tie" and called the Liberal Party's win a "razor-thin" margin and pledged his party would "hold the government to account"
• On the Canada-US relationship, Poilievre said he would work with the Liberal government as the country "stare[s] down tariffs and other irresponsible threats" from US President Donald Trump
• He also pledged to never give up and said his party would fight and deliver for change, concluding his speech with the phrase "Canada first, Canada always"

Image source, EPA

Canada's Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre - and the person who was giving Carney the closest race to be the next PM - is now projected to lose his seat in Carleton, Ontario.

Poilievre was born in Canada's western province of Alberta to a 16-year-old mother who put him up for adoption. He was taken in by two school teachers, who raised him in suburban Calgary.

The veteran politician first won a seat in Ottawa in 2004 at the age of 25, making him one of the youngest elected Conservatives at the time.

Ahead of the 2025 federal election, the 45-year-old had promised a return to "common sense politics", and offered an alternative to what he labelled as former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's "authoritarian socialism".

But he later found himself facing a different political foe: new Liberal leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney.

While his party enjoyed a large lead over the struggling Trudeau Liberals in national surveys for months, support for the Liberals shot up following Trudeau's resignation.

Critics had painted Poilievre as a sort of Donald Trump "light" - a parallel that has become a liability amid Trump's trade war and musings about a "51st state".

We've just had the news that Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has lost his seat in Carleton, Ontario.