On a tumultuous election night, two Conservative Cabinet ministers faced unexpected defeats within seconds of each other, adding to the Tories' woes as the scale of their losses becomes apparent.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, a seasoned politician who has held various Cabinet positions under different prime ministers, including energy security and net zero secretary, business, energy and industrial strategy secretary, and home secretary, suffered a significant blow by losing his seat to Labour in Welwyn Hatfield. Shapps, who was first elected to parliament in 2005, was unseated by Labour's Andrew Lewin with a margin of 3,799 votes. This defeat marks a stark contrast to his previous victory in 2019, where he secured his seat with a substantial majority of almost 11,000 votes.
In his concession speech, Shapps acknowledged the Conservatives' failure to retain their traditional voter base, attributing the loss not to Labour's triumph but to his party's shortcomings. He criticized the Conservatives for testing the patience of their supporters and becoming increasingly out of touch.
Simultaneously, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk also faced defeat, losing his seat to the Liberal Democrats. These back-to-back losses underscore the challenging night for the Conservatives, who have been dealt significant blows by both Labour and the Lib Dems across the country.
The unfolding events hint at further potential losses for the Conservatives, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt among the Cabinet ministers at risk of losing their seats. The election night promises to be unprecedented as more results are awaited, potentially reshaping the political landscape in unforeseen ways.
