Former prime minister Liz Truss has sensationally lost her seat in the Tory election bloodbath.
Ms Truss, who was premier for just 49 days in 2022, lost her Norfolk South West seat to Labour.
Terry Jermy overturned a 26,195 majority won by Ms Truss in 2019 after Reform and an independent campaign by the ‘Turnip Taliban‘ – a group of local disgruntled ex-Tories – whittled down her support.
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.
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.
Among the senior Tories to be ousted in a brutal election night bloodbath was Mr Rees-Mogg who lost his Somerset North East & Hanham seat to Labour’s Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes.
And glum-looking Defence Secretary Grant Shapps suffered a ‘Portillo Moment’ as he was defeated by Labour in Welwyn Hatfield by around 3,000 votes.
Ms Truss, who was premier for just 49 days in 2022, lost her Norfolk South West seat to Labour.
Jacob Rees-Mogg lost his Somerset North East & Hanham to Labour’s Dan Norris by more than 5,000 votes
Senior Tory figures – including a record number of Cabinet ministers – lost their seats in an election bloodbath
Grant Shapps looked glum as he lost his seat in Welwyn Hatfield pm a devastating night for the Tories
Ms 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.
Her disappearance from the Commons underlines the scale of Rishi Sunak’s loss, which is the worst ever electoral performance for the Conservatives.
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.
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.
And shortly afterwards Penny Mordaunt – another former Conservative leadership contender – missed out by a similar margin in Portsmouth North, admitting the party had ‘broken trust’ with voters.
Many more government ministers found themselves evicted from Parliament by voters, with Education Secretary Gillian Keegan losing in Chichester to the Liberal Democrats – who also took out Justice Secretary Alex Chalk.
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.
Conservative candidate Jacob Rees-Mogg stands next to Barmy Brunch from The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
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’.
