New Zealand election 2023: right-leaning coalition poised to form government after Labour swept from power – as it happened

National party leader Christopher Luxon told supporters at an election event in Auckland “you have given us the mandate to take New Zealand forward.” Photograph: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

12.31pm BST

Closing summary

That’s it from us on the Guardian’s live blog tonight, thank you very much for joining us. You can read the full story here and below is a round-up of the night’s key developments:

• After a night described as a “bloodbath” for the Labour government, prime minister Chris Hipkins conceded that his party lost the election. “As it stands Labour is not in a position to form another government,” he told supporters at the party HQ.

• Centre-right National party leader Christopher Luxon said he would form the next government with the libertarian Act party.

• With 96.5% of votes counted, National had 39.12% of the vote and 50 seats. Together with Act’s 11 seats (9.04%) that takes it to the 61 seats required to form a government. The left-leaning bloc of Labour (26.74%, 34 seats), the Green party (10.74%, 14 seats) and Te Pāti Māori (2.58%, 4 seats).

• However, due to the success of Te Pāti Māori and New Zealand’s electoral system, another couple of seats could be added to parliament, meaning that National and Act will need NZ First’s support. In his victory speech, Luxon was careful to thank NZ First leader Winston Peters for his offer of help.

• Former prime minister Jacinda Ardern’s seat hung in the balance, with Labour party candidate Helen White just 100 votes ahead of her National rival Melissa Lee with 96.3% of the vote counted.

• Foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta, parliament’s longest serving female MP, lost her seat to Te Pāti Māori’s Hana-Rawhiti Maipi Clarke, who will now become the country’s youngest MP since 1853.

12.30pm BST

A closing line from Serena Solomon in Auckland:

Someone turned the lights up here at National’s election party so that’s always a sign that the night is coming to an end. After speaking with media, Luxon went to a back room where his core team, MPs and candidates gave him a cheer.

Servers are busy picking up wine glasses (a few broken). Projector screens are coming down. Camera crews are packing up. What a night for National.

Who turned the lights up? Party is over although about a hundred National supporters are in denial about that. pic.twitter.com/XexxwP0uEi

— Serena Solomon (@serenaspeaks) October 14, 2023

Updated at 12.32pm BST