Tory big beasts fall: Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps lose seats as record number of Cabinet ministers go
Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps and Gillian Keegan were among the top Tories to go in the general election as a record number of cabinet ministers lost their seats.
The former Prime Minister Ms Truss, Defence Secretary Mr Shapps, Education Secretary Ms Keegan, and Ms Mordaunt, who served as Commons Leader, were defeated in a bruising night for the Conservatives.
Former Brexit secretary Sir Jacob Rees Mogg was toppled by Labour in Somerset, Chief whip Simon Hart lost to Plaid Cymru, while Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis was also beaten.
Twelve cabinet ministers lost their seats in a dramatic evening. The previous record was seven in 1997.
Ms Truss, Ms Mordaunt, Mr Shapps, Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, Attorney General Victoria Prentis and veterans minister Johnny Mercer lost to Labour. Ms Truss lost her South West Norfolk seat by 630 votes in a humiliating defeat.
Ms Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Science Secretary Michelle Donelan and Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer lost to Liberal Democrats.
Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross lost his North and Moray East seat to the SNP. Former Brexit Secretary Liam Fox lost his North Somerset to Labour.
Sir Robert Buckland, former justice minister, has lost his seat, as has former Welsh secretary Alun Cairns and former deputy Prime Minister Therese Coffey.
While Greg Hands, Minister for London, also lost Chelsea and Fulham by 152 votes.
Sir Robert said politics is at a “crossroads” and the Conservative Party must make the “right choice” if it is to inspire a new generation as he warned against “politics as mere circus” in his farewell speech.
The former justice secretary said: “Our very political system is at a crossroads. Do we value those who work to bring people together and to come into politics to do something rather than be someone?
“Or do we shrug our shoulders and accept politics as a mere circus where people compete for attention by saying things that they either know to be untrue, or which raise hopes and expectations in a way that further erodes trust?”
For all the live updates on results throughout the evening, follow our dedicated General Election live blog.
Jeremy Hunt won the Godalming and Ash seat in Surrey, while Rishi Sunak remains an MP in North Yorkshire - in Richmond and Northallerton.
But at 5am the Tories suffered another high-profile defeat with Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg loses the new North East Somerset and Hanham constituency to Labour's Dan Norris.
Speaking at the University of Bath after the result was declared, Sir Jacob said: "May I begin by giving my warmest congratulations to Dan Norris, who has been a servant of North East Somerset or Wansdyke as it then was before and I am sure will be a devoted constituency MP in the future.
"And congratulate Sir Keir Starmer who has led his party to what seems to be a historic victory. And this is the great virtue of our democracy, so I congratulate both of them."
Labour storm to General Election 2024 win
Incoming British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech at Number 10 Downing Street, following the results of the election
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King Charles III welcomes Sir Keir Starmer during an audience at Buckingham Palace, London, where he invited the leader of the Labour Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government following the landslide General Election victory for the Labour Party
(Yui Mok/PA Wire)
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria Starmer arrive at Number 10 Downing Street
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria at the Tate Modern
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Rishi Sunak
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Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria
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Jeremy Hunt leaving Downing Street this morning
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Tan Smith reacts next to party-goers as they celebrate early election poll results at a
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Outgoing British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak walks outside Conservative Campaign Headquarters, following the results of the general election
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Independent candidate Niko Omilana holds an “L” behind Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during his speech at Northallerton Leisure Centre
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks to supporters
(PA Wire)Sir Jacob then thanked his agent, campaign director and constituency staff who had "worked so hard over the last 14 years".
He said: "And one final thought, from Caractacus Potts, and that is from the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success. So thank you very much everybody, and good night."
The former Tory chairman Sir Brandon Lewis pulled no punches in his attack on Mr Sunak.
He said: “He will go down as the Conservative Prime Minister and leader who had the worst election result in over a century.”
“That's not something he would have been looking to do when he became leader of the party,” he added on GB News.
Sir Brandon added: "He didn't wait until the very last minute for an election and then call it when he had to call it. He chose when to call an election and he'll know that he made that decision.
“That’s nobody else's issue, the Prime Minister makes that decision.
“I suspect right now that's weighing on him very, very strongly."
The exit poll predicts Labour will enjoy a majority of 170 seats with the Tories scraping to just 131 and the Lib Dems surging to 61.
