Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Michael Howie

Liz Truss loses seat as ex-Tory leader suffers humiliating election defeat to Labour

Liz Truss has suffered a humiliating election defeat as the former Tory party leader lost her South West Norfolk seat.

Ms Truss had been the country's shortest-serving leader ever after her chaotic budget sparked a money market meltdown and a collapse in sterling.

Ms Truss secured 11,217 votes in her South West Norfolk constituency, behind the 11,847 votes for Labour candidate Terry Jermy.

In third place, Reform UK's Toby McKenzie took 9,958 votes.After she lost her seat, Ms Truss hugged allies and left the counting hall in King's Lynn without making a speech.

The ex-PM was late to the declaration, with the crowd slow clapping after seven candidates had lined up on the stage for several minutes - without Ms Truss being present.

Taking over from the scandal-ridden premiership of Boris Johnson, Ms Truss, 48, was forced to announce her resignation after just 44 days when her unfunded tax cuts sparked financial market turmoil, raising the cost of mortgages for homeowners already in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.

Ms Truss had become synonymous for many voters with the chaos and failures of Conservative government.

But she has remained an influential voice among right-wingers in the party.

The result means Rishi Sunak is the only Prime Minister from the last 14 years whose seat remains blue.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.