Jeremy Hunt has left Downing Street with his family for the final time this morning following Labour’s victory in the General Election.
The Godalming and Ash MP, who held on to his seat with a majority of fewer than 900 votes, posed for photos with his wife, three children and dog Poppy as he stepped out on to the doorstep shortly before 9:30am.
One reporter shouted ‘Are you going to run for leader?’ but Mr Hunt gave no response as he ambled towards a waiting taxi waiting to whisk him away from the premises.
Speaking after holding on to his seat earlier this morning, Mr Hunt admitted that his government had lost the trust of the electorate.
He conceded: ‘Some Conservatives will wonder whether the scale of our crushing defeat is really justified, but when you lose the trust of the electorate, all that matters is to have the courage and humility to ask yourself why?
‘Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are decent people.. I hope they use their majority to make much needed reforms to the NHS in the way that is difficult for the Conservative governments to do.’
The Conservatives are expected to be slashed from the 365 MPs secured less than five years ago to 144, their worst performance in modern political history – but an improvement from the 131 expected at first.
Rishi Sunak is also entering his final hours as PM after overseeing a catastrophic election that saw the Tories slump to their lowest ever number of MPs.
Jeremy Hunt has left Downing Street with his family for the final time this morning
The Godalming and Ash MP, who held on to his seat with a majority of fewer than 900 votes
He posed for photos with his wife, three children and dog Poppy as he stepped out on to the doorstep shortly before 9:30am
A broken PM acknowledged that Keir Starmer had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat
Mr Sunak has gone to CCHQ to thank staff before drawing a line under his two-year premiership
Mr Sunak has flown back to London from Yorkshire, where he conceded that Keir Starmer has won and issued a grovelling apology in a shell-shocked speech.
The premier will not return to Downing Street, where he is expected to say a few valedictory words before heading to see the King and formally resign.
In an ironic full-circle moment, rain is falling in Westminster – echoing the miserable start to his ill-fated gamble, when he was drenched while announcing the snap election. Sir Keir will follow Mr Sunak into Buckingham Palace, before returning to enter the famous black door of No10.
The traditional choreography comes as Labour’s majority ticks up to 170, just short of Tony Blair‘s 179 in 1997, with just a few seats left to declare. The Tories look to be struggling to reach 130 MPs, easily worse than their previous nadir of 156 in 1906.
The Lib Dems also inflicted massive pain on the Tories, racking up a record 71 seats as Reform leeched millions of votes and came second in around a hundred constituencies – but only scored four MPs of their own.
Sir Keir trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons, saying ‘we did it!’
Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, he said the British people had ‘voted to turn the page’ on 14 years of Conservative rule – and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was ‘nothing inevitable’ about the outcome.
It came minutes after a broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat.
‘The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, there is much to learn… and I take responsibility for the loss,’ he said.
‘To the many good, hard-working Conservative candidates who lost tonight, despite their tireless efforts, their local records and delivery, and their dedication to their communities. I am sorry.’
Keir Starmer trumpeted his victory at a rally in central London after the party formally crested the 325 seats needed to control the Commons
Sealing his triumph by embracing wife Victoria, Keir Starmer said the British people had ‘voted to turn the page’ on 14 years of Conservative rule – and delivered a riposte to his critics saying there was ‘nothing inevitable’ about the outcome
A broken PM acknowledged that Sir Keir had won as he nervously took a victory in his own incredibly safe Richmond & Northallerton seat
Senior Tory figures – including a record number of Cabinet ministers – lost their seats in an election bloodbath
Ms Truss, who led the country for 49 days following Boris Johnson’s resignation, was the latest Tory heavyweight to fall on a disastrous night – and morning – for the party
She Truss beat Rishi Sunak to the Tory leadership in 2022. But her popularity nosedived after her devastating mini-budget with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng which led to the plunge of the pound and had widespread economic impacts.
On a humiliating night for Rishi Sunak‘s party, some of the Conservatives‘ biggest names – including a record number of frontbenchers – lost their seats as Labour stormed to an historic landslide win.
Liz Truss
Ms Truss, who led the country from September 6 to October 25 2022 following Boris Johnson‘s resignation, was the latest Tory heavyweight to suffer at the hands of the electorate on a disastrous night – and morning – for the party.
She Truss beat Rishi Sunak to the Tory leadership in 2022. But her popularity nosedived after her devastating mini-budget with Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng which led to the plunge of the pound and had widespread economic impacts.
Thousands of people saw steep mortgage rises following the budget, which contained millions of pounds worth of unfunded tax cuts.
She later quit as leader and returned to the backbenches, reinventing herself as a rightwing firebrand with links to Trumpist US Republicans.
Speaking to the BBC after her defeat she said: ‘I think the issue we faced as Conservatives is we haven’t delivered sufficiently on the policies people want.
‘And that means keeping taxes low, but also particularly on reducing immigration. And I think that’s been a crucial issue here in South West Norfolk, that was the number one issue that people raised on the doorstep with me.’
Asked whether she accepted some responsibility for that, Ms Truss said: ‘I agree. I was part of that. That’s absolutely true.
‘But during our 14 years in power, unfortunately we did not do enough to take on the legacy we’d been left, in particular things like the Human Rights Act that made it very difficult for us to deport illegal immigrants. And that is one of the reasons I think we’ve ended up in the situation we are now.’
She declined to say if she would remain involved in politics.
The candidates for South West Norfolk were left waiting on stage for several minutes for the announcement of the result as they waited for Ms Truss to appear.
Some of those watching began a slow hand clap before she finally joined them, without wearing a Conservative rosette.
Jacob Rees-Mogg
Mr Rees-Mogg lost his Somerset North East & Hanham seat to Labour’s Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes.
In a typically polite speech afterwards he congratulated Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on ‘what seems to be a historic victory’.
The former business secretary’s defeat was a reversal of 2010, when he bet Mr Norris in the predecessor constituency.
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.
Jacob Rees-Mogg lost his Somerset North East & Hanham to Labour’s Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes
‘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.’
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.’
Grant Shapps
Glum-looking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suffered a ‘Portillo Moment’ as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.
A ‘Portillo’ moment is a reference to Conservative cabinet minister Michael Portillo who lost what had been regarded as a safe Tory seat in Labour’s 1997 landslide.
In his parting shot, Mr Shapps said the Conservatives had ‘lost’ the election rather than Labour winning it – and ‘tried the patience’ of the public by being divided.
Mr Shapps has held a series of Cabinet positions under four Tory prime ministers – including energy security and net zero secretary, business secretary and home secretary.
Grant Shapps looked glum as he lost his seat in Welwyn Hatfield pm a devastating night for the Tories
In 2012 it was revealed he was using an alter-ego as businessman Michael Green.
He was pictured using a nom de plume while he was a prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives. He was standing for the Welwyn Hatfield seat in Hertfordshire when he posed for the photo at a £2,000-a-head web marketing event at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino in 2004.
Mr Shapps continued to use the name Michael Green for his business interests throughout the 2005 election campaign and his early years as an opposition MP. ‘Mr Green’ charged clients £183 an hour for advice on how to make money from the web as well as offering tips on how to beat the recession blues, including splashing out on a jet-ski or learning to play the guitar.
Penny Mordaunt
Penny Mordaunt lost her Commons seat today in one of the biggest upsets of a General Election that is turning into a top Tory bloodbath.
The Commons leader, who leapt into the public consciousness with her sword-wielding role at the Coronation of Charles III last year, was beaten into second place by Labour‘s Amanda Martin.
Ms Mordaunt, 51, had been tipped as a potential future Tory leader as the party tries to regroup from a long-expected electoral pummelling.
The Commons leader, who leapt into the public consciousness with her sword-wielding role at the Coronation of Charles III last year, was beaten into second place by Labour ‘s Amanda Martin.
The former defence secretary was runner up to Rishi Sunak in 2022 and had also stood in the previous leadership race won by Liz Truss.
During the election campaign she was the face of the Tories at a number of seven-way debates between senior figures from the main parties, going to-to-toe with Labour’s Angela Rayner.
But shortly after 4am the Royal Navy reservist lost to Labour in the Royal Navy’s home city, marking at least the start of a lengthy hiatus in her political career, if not ending it.
She admitted the Conservative Parry has taken a ‘battering’ because it failed to honour ‘the trust that people had placed in it’ after she lost her seat to Labour.
Labour’s Amanda Martin ousted the Leader of the House of Commons from Portsmouth North, winning by just 780 votes.
Ms Mordaunt, 51, would have been hotly tipped to run for the party leadership again had she managed to keep her seat.
She said: ‘Tonight, the Conservative Party has taken a battering because it failed to honour the trust that people had placed in it. You can speak all you like of security and freedom, but you can’t have either if you are afraid.
‘Afraid about the cost-of-living or accessing healthcare, or whether the responsibility you shoulder will be recognised and rewarded. That fear steals the future, and it only makes the present matter and that is why we lost.
‘Our renewal as a party and a country will not be achieved by us talking to an ever smaller slice of ourselves but being guided by the people of our country. And if we want again to be the natural party of government, then our values must be the people’s.
‘I’ve lost many good colleagues tonight but I hope that like me they intend to carry on serving their communities with even stronger heart, our country needs all of us.’
Ms Mordaunt, who had held the seat from 2010, also said she will ‘never stop caring’ for the people of Portsmouth.
Gillian Keegan
The Education Secretary since 2022 and MP for Chichester from 2017, Gillian Keegan lost her seat to Liberal Democrat candidate Jess Brown-Fuller.
Ms Keegan had pushed for banning smartphones in schools. She also oversaw draft statutory sex education guidance that ‘gender ideology’ should not be taught in schools.
Ms Keegan had pushed for banning smartphones in schools. She also oversaw draft statutory sex education guidance that ‘gender ideology’ should not be taught in schools.
But she also made headlines for urged striking teachers to be ‘realistic’ with their pay demands – while wearing her £10,000 Rolex watch.
But she also made headlines for urged striking teachers to be ‘realistic’ with their pay demands – while wearing her £10,000 Rolex watch.
Last year she wore her expensive watch – a gift from her husband – as she toured television and radio studios.
The Merseyside-born Tory, who grew up in a working class family and left school at 16, accused critics of her jewellery of ‘inverted snobbery’.
In an early claim of victory before 2am on Friday, the Liberal Democrats said her seat of ‘Chichester is going Lib Dem-orange, as Gillian Keegan becomes the first Cabinet minister of the night to lose her seat’.
And just two hours later her loss was confirmed, with a result that saw her trailing the Lib Dems by more than 10,000 votes.
When appointed Education Secretary by Rishi Sunak in 2022, she was the fifth person to hold the role in under four months and the sixth since the 2019 general election.
Less than a year into the role she was fighting a major crisis after ordering more than 100 schools to make closures because of concerns that a crumbling aerated concrete could collapse.
The strain of that erupted in public when she unwittingly vented her frustrations, swearing about a lack of gratitude towards her while others have ‘sat on their arse and done nothing’ while the cameras were still rolling after a broadcast interview.
Steve Baker
Tory minister Steve Baker said ‘thank God I’m a free man’ after he was ousted from his Wycombe seat.
The self-styled ‘Brexit hardman’, who had signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I fought this to win it and I wanted to do my duty and continue. But I am today, thank God, a free man.
The self-styled ‘Brexit hardman’, who had signalled his intention to launch a Tory leadership bid after the election, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I fought this to win it and I wanted to do my duty and continue. But I am today, thank God, a free man.
‘Try being elected to Parliament and you’ll understand. I am able now to resume my life and that is going to be a great blessing to me.
‘So I’m afraid I will be honest with the public. Thank God I’m a free man.’
And the others…
The Liberal Democrats took out Justice Secretary Alex Chalk in Cheltenham.
Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland, Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, Chief Whip Simon Hart were all culled – as were Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis, former deputy PM Therese Coffey and Michael Fabricant.
Welsh secretary David Davies, Science Minister Michelle Donelan and Attorney General Victoria Prentis were also all kicked from their seats.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper lost his Forest of Dean seat to Labour’s Matt Bishop by just 278 votes.
Senior Tory Liam Fox, who had been the MP for North Somerset since 1992, also narrowly lost his seat to Labour candidate Sadik Al-Hassan by 639 votes.
Other casualties included Peter Bottomley, who had been the longest-serving lawmaker in parliament. The ‘Father of the House’ – the honorary title bestowed upon the member who had been in parliament the longest – was first elected in 1975 but lost his Worthing West seat.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper lost his seat in the Forest of Dean
Chief Whip Simon Hart lost his seat
In a rare positive for the Tories, Mr Sunak, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Home Secretary James Cleverley held onto their seats in Richmond and North Allerton, Godalming and Ash and Braintree respectively.
Despite suffering a brutal defeat, Mr Rees-Mogg congratulated Sir Keir Starmer on ‘what seems to be a historic victory’.
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.’
Sir Jacob then thanked his agent, campaign director and constituency staff who had ‘worked so hard over the last 14 years’.
