UK elections 2017: Can you trust that surprise exit poll?

The poll put Conservatives on 314 seats- 12 short of a majority- and Labour on 266 seats

True to form, the 2017 UK election exit poll has brought shock to election night as the prospect of the Tories failing to secure a majority in parliament appears to be a real possibility. The poll puts the Conservatives on 314 seats – 12 short of a majority – and Labour on 266 seats.

After catching their breath, the first question most people are asking is whether we can trust these results.

The short answer is yes. While the official seat count may differ in either direction due to sampling error, exit polls have provided reliable estimates in past elections. In fact,