The Liberal Democrats have defeated Education Secretary Gillian Keegan of the Conservative Party in Chichester, a seat the Tories held for the past 100 years.
The Lib Dems’ Jess Brown-Fuller defeated the Conservative MP and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan in Chichester.
Keegan’s loss in Chichester would be one of the biggest blows to the Conservatives as they have held the seat for the past 100 years. As per The Sussex World newspaper, the Conservatives have held the seat consistently since 1924.
Prior to the formal announcement, a Lib Deb spokesperson said that Keegan became the first minister to lose tonight. The spokesperson attributed the defeat to the pollution problems in the constituency that it blamed on the Conservatives.
“Chichester Harbour has been blighted by sewage pollution thanks to the Conservatives letting water companies off the hook. By electing Jess Brown-Fuller, Chichester now has a local champion who will stand up and fight to clean up our waterways and hold water companies accountable,” said the spokesperson, according to The Daily Telegraph.
The Conservative Party is headed to a rout in the UK general elections. Exit polls have shown that the Labour Party is winning in a landslide as it’s projected to win over 400 of the 650 seats.