Conservative former Justice Secretary Robert Buckland loses seat, in Labour's first gain from Tories

5 July 2024, 00:19 | Updated: 5 July 2024, 01:54

Sir Robert Buckland, the Conservative's former Justice Secretary, has lost his seat, in Labour's first gain from the Tories in the General Election.

Sir Robert, who previously held Swindon South with a majority of over 6,000, lost to Labour's Heidi Alexander.

Labour won 21,676 votes, with the Conservatives second on 12,070. Reform UK were third on 6,194. This marks the first Labour gain from the Tories this evening.

Sir Robert has held the seat since 2010, before which it was a Labour constituency for several years.

He hit out at his Conservative colleagues in the wake of his loss, saying: "I've watched colleagues in the Conservative Party strike poses, write inflammatory op-eds, and say stupid things they know they have no evidence for, instead of concentrating on doing the job".

Read more: Follow live as Britain decides on the election night blog

Read more: General Election exit poll predicts Labour landslide with majority of 170 seats

Sir Robert was Justice Secretary from 2019-2021, and Secretary of State for Wales for several months in 2022. Sir Robert was Solicitor General between 2014 and 2019 and prisons minister in 2019.

Ms Alexander, the new MP, previously held Lewisham East in London between 2010 and 2018, when she quit to become deputy London mayor for transport under Sadiq Khan.

She said after the result was announced that she was on a "mission to restore pride and opportunity to my home town".

Ms Alexander added: "Together, we're going to put Swindon back on the map for all the right reasons."

Natasha on exit poll

Labour are expected to make many gains overnight, with a massive landslide forecast in the exit poll.

Several Cabinet ministers are forecast to lost their seats, including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.

The exit poll shows a Labour landslide with 410 seats, with the party having a majority of 170 seats.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives are set for 131 seats - which would be the lowest number of Tory MPs on record.

Pollster analyses the Exit Poll

The exit poll also forecasts the Liberal Democrats on 61 seats, Reform UK on 13 and the Green Party on two.

In Scotland, the SNP are expected to secure 10 seats with Plaid Cymru in Wales on four.

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