Swedish election

Sweden’s nationalist anti-immigration party has made gains in the country’s general election as the establishment parties appear deadlocked, exit polls predict.

The Sweden Democrats (SD) are expected to achieve 19.2% of the vote.

The party, described by Prime Minister Stefan Lofven as “racist”, held 12.9% of the ballot in the previous election.

Neither the governing Social Democrats nor the centre-right bloc of parties are predicted to win a majority.

An exit poll by public broadcaster SVT suggested the centre-right Alliance won 39.6% of the vote, slightly more than the Social Democrats on 39.4%.

Immigration has been a central issue of the campaign.

SD leader Jimmie Akesson has argued that the high number of migrants taken in by Sweden is driving up crime and putting the welfare system at risk.

Mr Lofven has accused the SD of extremism and said that a vote for it was “dangerous”.

The outgoing prime minister heads a minority coalition government made up of his Social Democrats and the Green Party.