SUNDERLAND could be the starting gun to signal the start of one of the most spectacular political breakthroughs in recent history.
Written off as a non-contender by much of the UK media to date, the polls were continuing to dismiss Jeremy Corbyn as recently as lunchtime.
But within minutes of voting closing at 10pm, it appeared the pollsters could once again end an election with a fair smattering of facial egg, as a BBC/ITV/Sky exit poll predicted the Tories could fall short of a majority, and end with just 314 seats.
With the three Sunderland seats predicted to be the first to declare, that could mean they fire the starting pistol on a truly spectacular outcome for Mr Corbyn’s Labour party.
It will be no surprise that they remain red in political colour, and the first real clue of the way the tide is running could come at around 1am, when the first marginal seat is expected to declare at Nuneaton.