Outcome may not become clear until late on Friday

THE general election outcome may still not be clear as dawn breaks over Britain on Friday.

Estimates published by the Press Association suggest more than 40% of constituencies could declare after 4am, with the counting process slowed by new Whitehall regulations aimed at checking for fraud, particularly on postal votes.

The busiest hour looks like being as late as between 3am and 4am, with nearly 200 results expected then.

Sunderland’s veteran elections chief Bill Crawford and his team have hopes of being first in the results race for the fifth time running.

The city’s three constituencies, Houghton and Sunderland South, Sunderland Central and Washington and Sunderland West are the only three expected by Thursday midnight.

Surprisingly they look set to be followed by four results from Northern Ireland at Antrim North – where former Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley has stepped down, Foyle, Lagan Valley and Upper Bann.

Tory leader David Cameron will be watching these contests to see how his allies, Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force (UCUNF), are performing. Their Lagan Valley candidate is Daphne Trimble, wife of former Northern Ireland First Minister Lord Trimble.

The first mainland marginal seat declaration is expected just before 1am at Birmingham Edgbaston, defended by Labour former minister Gisela Stuart.

It could be shortly followed by Basildon South and Thurrock East, where Cabinet Office Minister Angela Smith is Labour’s candidate, and Battersea, won for the party by just 163 votes over Tories last time.

The first result in a target seat for a Liberal Democrat gain could be Durham City at about 1.30am

Around 1am Plaid Cymru supporters may be anxiously watching the outcome at Ynys Mon, a North Wales Labour marginal.

The SNP’s best chance of a gain is at Ochil and Perthshire South which may not declare until 4am.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown looks like the first party leader to be returned on election night with the result at his Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath stronghold expected around 2am.

He may be quickly followed by Lib Dems’ Nick Clegg (Sheffield Hallam) at 2.30am and Cameron (Witney) at 3am.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls, who may be threatened at Morley and Outwood if there is a large swing against Labour, also faces a declaration at 3am.

Another outside possible Cabinet casualty, Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy, may know his fate by 2.30am at Renfrewshire East.