It started as a blue, blue, and blue prediction, but in the early stages of election results Labour began to steadily chip away at the Tory advantage, with Canterbury and Battersea both swinging red.

Not so for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, where Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson retained his seat with 23,716 votes.

He was first on stage and the first to leave at the Brunel University count, after a Conservative campaign thought by some to be blasé.

“I will rededicate myself to looking after the interests of this fantastic constituency,” he said.

His speech focused on the atrocities of the terrorist attack last week and the resilient nature of the people of Hillingdon, who came together to get on with the democratic process.

His lead over his closest rival - Labour candidate Vincent Lo - was nearly cut in half from 9,695 in 2015 to 5,034.

Mr Lo said: “I really do hope that Boris will become a full member of parliament rather than a part-time member of parliament.

“And I really do hope that he spends more time with the constituents to hold surgeries, to listen to the nurse, to listen to the mum who’s working two jobs, to listen to the dad who’s caring for a disabled child and to spend more time with your wonderful constituents.

“People are being squeezed, Mr Johnson.”

Mr Lo continued to berate his opponent’s record, honing in on his collusion with the £350 million slogan that for many has come to epitomise Tory miscalculation and deception.

The stocky sesquipedalian shuffled past reporters claiming it was too early to come to conclusions about the inner circle of Theresa May and her cabinet.

Bookies slashed the odds on Mr Johnson becoming prime minster from 66/1 to 5/1 after the exit poll result pointed towards a hung parliament.

People at the count took to their phones and chased after him, yet his resolve was concrete and he hurried away.

John McDonnell, who won the Hayes and Harlington seat with a majority of 31,796, said he thought Mr Johnson leaving encapsulated why people felt he had 'abandoned' his seat.

“It’s disappointing and it’s quite rude," he said. "I know a number of journalists wanted to talk to him.

“One of the criticisms he’s had sometimes is that’s he not engaging. 

“One of the ways to engage is to engage with the local media.”