Shellshocked Liz Truss motionless on stage as she loses to Labour by just 600 votes
5 July 2024, 06:51 | Updated: 5 July 2024, 07:46
The former Prime Minister Liz Truss stood motionless on stage as she lost her seat to Labour by just 600 votes.
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Ms Truss' disastrous time as Prime Minister came to an end in October 2022 after just 44 days.
The 26 per cent swing to Labour in south west Norfolk is the biggest swing in any election in history.
She is the first former Prime Minister to lose their seat in a century.
It rounds off a torrid night for Tory big beasts, with 11 Cabinet ministers losing their seats.
This includes the Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer.
Jacob Rees-Mogg also lost his North East Somerset and Hanham seat to Labour, while Penny Mordaunt - a Tory leadership hopeful - also lost to Sir Keir Starmer's party.
Ms Truss' symbolic defeat reflects just how badly the Conservatives performed in the General Election.
At the time of Truss' loss, Labour had won 409 seats, with the Tories slumping to 116.
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Liz Truss refuses to answer any questions as she leaves the count in Norfolk. She was in the building for no more than 10 minutes.
— Fraser Knight (@Fraser_Knight) July 5, 2024
Campaigners were seen visibly upset as they left ahead of her @LBC pic.twitter.com/xMHHrselKc
Ms Truss' Premiership plunged into chaos after her government's mini-budget, which included plans to abolish the top rate of income tax for the highest earners.
This sent the markets into turmoil before the-then Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng sacked.
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Jeremy Hunt, who narrowly won his seat this evening, replaced Mr Kwarteng.
But it was not enough to save Ms Truss, who was forced to resign by the Conservatives 1922 committee.
Tory big beasts who lost their seats
Grant Shapps - Defence Secretary
Gillian Keegan - Education Secretary
Johnny Mercer - Veterans Minister
Penny Mordaunt - Leader of the House of Commons
Jonathan Gullis - Tory deputy chairman
Lucy Frazer - Culture Secretary
Simon Hart - Chief Whip
Steve Baker - Northern Ireland minister
Mark Harper - Transport Secretary
Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Alex Chalk - Justice Secretary
Sir Robert Buckland - former Justice Secretary
Therese Coffey - former Environment Secretary
Jacob Rees-Mogg - former Brexit secretary
