THE TORY BIG BEASTS LOOKING TO AVOID A PORTILLO MOMENT

Penny Mordaunt and Grant Shapps are among a number of Conservative cabinet ministers who have lost their seats in quick succession amid a Tory bloodbath.

The humiliating blows one after the other come as Sir Keir Starmer is set to be swept to power by a landslide Labour victory. 

Labour is predicted to have a 170-seat majority in the Commons, with the Tories reduced to just 131 seats - their lowest number of MPs on record.

If the results indicated by an exit poll are accurate, Rishi Sunak's term as Prime Minister will end in electoral disaster and could see him resign.

Although Mr Sunak managed to hold on to his Richmond and Northallerton sea and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt narrowly won his Godalming & Ash seat, eight members of his Cabinet members have so far been defeated.

Ms Mordaunt, the Conservative leader of the House of Commons who lost her seat of Portsmouth North, said in defeat: 'To anyone who is disappointed, democracy is never wrong.'

Defence Secretary Mr Shapps, who lost his Welwyn Hatfield seat, paid tribute to  the 'selfless courage of the men and women of this country who serve in our armed forces'.

Chief whip Simon Hart, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer and Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer have also lost their seats.

Although Mr Sunak held his seat, he said: 'The Labour Party has won this general election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.

'I will now head down to London, where I will say more about tonight's result, before I leave the job as Prime Minister, to which I have given my all.'

'I will now head down to London, where I will say more about tonight's result, before I leave the job as prime minister, to which I have given my all.'

Follow MailOnline's coverage as we look at the Tory big guns desperately clinging on to avoid a Portillo moment - a reference to Tory cabinet minister Michael Portillo losing a safe Tory seat in Labour's 1997 landslide.

  • Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Richmond & Northallerton. Result: VICTORY
  • Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, Hertsmere: Result: VICTORY
  • Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, Farnham Surrey. Result: VICTORY
  • Home Secretary James Cleverly, Braintree. Result: TBC
  • Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Welwyn Hatfield: Result: DEFEAT
  • Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Cheltenham.  Result: DEFEAT
  • Science Secretary Michelle Donelan. Result: DEFEAT
  • Victoria Atkins, Louth and Horncastle: Health Secretary. Result: VICTORY
  • Environment Secretary Steve Barclay, North East Cambridgeshire. Result: VICTORY
  • Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt, Portsmouth North. Result: DEFEAT 
  • Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, North West Essex. Result: VICTORY
  • Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho,  East Surrey. Result: VICTORY
  • Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, Central Devon. Result: TBC
  • Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Chichester. Result: DEFEAT
  • Transport Secretary Mark Harper, Forest of Dean. Result: TBC
  • Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer KC, South East Cambridgeshire. Result: DEFEAT
  • Richard Holden, North West Durham. Result: VICTORY
  • Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, Monmouth. Result: TBC
  • Treasury (Chief Whip) Simon Hart, Caerfyrddin. Result: DEFEAT
  • Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott, Sevenoaks. Result: VICTORY
  • Attorney General Victoria Prentis, Banbury. Result: TBC
  • Paymaster general John Glen, Salisbury. Result: TBC
  • Security minister Tom Tugendhat, Tonbridge and Malling. Result: TBC
  • Foreign Office minister Andrew Mitchell, Sutton Coldfield. Result: VICTORY
  • Veterans minister Johnny Mercer, Plymouth Moor View. Result: DEFEAT
  • Immigration minister Michael Tomlinson, Mid Dorset and North Poole. Result: TBC
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2024-07-05T03:29:49Z dg43tfdfdgfd