Surprise losses during night of sweeping change
A HOST of high-profile figures from across the political spectrum lost their seats on a dramatic election night.
The three main parties all suffered key losses in Scotland – while Labour defectors lost their jobs south of the Border.
Scottish Labour saw the biggest collapse, with six of its seven MPs rejected by voters amid concern about the prospect of a Jeremy Corbyn-led government.
Among them was shadow Scottish Secretary Lesley Laird, who suffered the humiliation of being ousted by Neale Hanvey, who was suspended by the SNP during the campaign after admitting to making antiSemitic comments. Mr Hanvey stood as an independent in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.
The Conservatives lost several seats in marginal constituencies, including Kirstene Hair, one of their most accomplished performers at Westminster who campaigned for a better immigration system to help farmers in her Angus constituency.
Her share of the vote fell by 4.8 percentage points while the SNP gained 10.6 percentage points.
Although the SNP made several gains, Stephen Gethins, its Europe spokesman, lost his North East Fife seat to the Lib Dems.
It had been Britain’s most marginal constituency, with a majority of just two votes. But Wendy Chamberlain romped home with a majority of more than 1,000 after the Lib Dem vote share rocketed by 10 percentage points, to 43.1 per cent.
Every one of the 18 MPs who defected to other parties amid the
‘Humiliation of being ousted’
Brexit parliamentary turmoil lost their seats. High-profile defectors Chuka Umunna and Luciana Berger, both Labour MPs who moved to the Liberal Democrats, failed to win in new constituencies.
Though the party had high hopes for winning the City of London and Finchley, they were beaten to both seats by Tory candidates.
Former Tory minister and ardent Remainer Anna Soubry became one of the biggest scalps of the night after losing her Brexit-voting seat of Broxtowe.
She was joined by several other MPs who left their parties to form The Independent Group, becoming known as the Tiggers.
Former attorney general and Tory MP Dominic Grieve was one of the night’s most prominent casualties, after failing to overturn the Conservative majority in Beaconsfield.
The arch-Remainer lost the whip after rebelling over a No Deal Brexit and arguing for a second referendum and stood as an independent.
Despite efforts to win over his former constituents by bringing actor Hugh Grant out on the campaign trail, he lost to Tory candidate Joy Morrissey.
He was joined by former justice secretary David Gauke who also lost the whip, and failed to win South West Hertfordshire.
Former Tory minister Anne Milton lost Guildford after losing the whip over the same No Deal rebellion.
Despite some of their colleagues being readmitted to the party, she, Mr Grieve and Mr Gauke were forced to stand as independents. They were joined by several MPs who quit their parties to join new ones – many to the Lib Dems.