Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss and several of outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party Cabinet colleagues lost their seats on Friday as the Labour Party swept to power.
Truss, whose tumultuous 45-day tenure has been widely blamed within the Conservative ranks for Thursday's significant defeat, was defeated in her South West Norfolk constituency by Labour candidate Terry Jermy, losing by 630 votes. This came after holding a substantial 24,180-vote majority previously, according to the BBC.
The outcome in South West Norfolk symbolizes what is shaping up to be the Conservatives' worst-ever election result, with exit polls suggesting they will secure only 131 seats nationwide.
Labour seized power on Friday after more than a decade in opposition, receiving a landslide victory from a disillusioned electorate. However, they now face the daunting challenge of revitalizing a stagnant economy and a disheartened nation.
Labour leader Keir Starmer is set to officially become Prime Minister later today, returning his party to government in less than five years following its near-century-worst defeat.
He will assume leadership at 10 Downing Street shortly after Thursday's vote count, as Conservative leader Sunak exits. Labour is projected to hold a majority of approximately 160 seats in the House of Commons.
Sunak, Britain's first Prime Minister of British Indian origin, retained his Richmond and Northallerton seat in northern England with 23,059 votes but failed to reverse his party's fortunes nationally after 14 years in government.
Other senior Tories who lost their seats include Commons leader Penny Mordaunt and former minister Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Mordaunt, a potential future Conservative leadership contender, saw her 15,000-plus majority overturned in Portsmouth North.
Rees-Mogg, a former business secretary, lost in North East Somerset and Hanham, with Labour overturning his 16,000-vote majority.
Speaking to the BBC, Rees-Mogg took responsibility for his defeat, calling it "a very bad night for the Conservatives."
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, and Michelle Donelan are among several cabinet ministers who also lost their seats.
However, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt managed to narrowly retain his seat in Godalming and Ash with a slim 891-vote majority, despite earlier vulnerability predictions.
The Conservatives suffered losses in southern England to the Liberal Democrats, who are poised for their best electoral performance in a century with over 60 seats secured.
Unlike the 2019 election, where the Brexit Party refrained from contesting over 300 Tory-held seats, Reform UK's decision to field candidates nationwide contributed significantly to Conservative losses, especially in Brexit-supporting regions.
In acknowledging the election results, Sunak described them as a "sobering verdict" for his party.
Reflecting on her defeat, Mordaunt criticized her party for failing to uphold public trust, warning against narrowing their appeal.
Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer also lost to Labour in Plymouth Moor View.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan lost to the Liberal Democrats in Chichester, a seat the Tories had held for a century.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer lost Ely and East Cambridgeshire to the Liberal Democrats.
Chief Whip Simon Hart lost to Plaid Cymru in Caerfyrddin, as the Tories lost all their seats in Wales.
Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland, who also lost his seat, warned of "electoral Armageddon" for the party.
He criticized fellow Conservatives for prioritizing personal agendas over their elected responsibilities.
Former Cabinet Office Minister Steve Baker, facing slim odds of retaining his seat, acknowledged the party's challenging night.
He praised Sunak's intellect but admitted campaign mistakes, including leaving D-Day commemorations early.
In his concession speech, Shapps criticized Conservative infighting, attributing it to the party's electoral losses.
Shapps, who held multiple Cabinet roles, had backed Liz Truss's rival Sunak in the 2022 leadership contest.
He lost to Labour in Welwyn Hatfield and emphasized that Britain would wake up to a new government.
"It's clear tonight that Britain will have a new government in the morning," Shapps remarked, underscoring the Conservatives' failure to present a unified front to voters.
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