Sunak’s Cabinet scores a ‘worst ever’ in UK elections, 11 ministers lose seats

In a major blow to the UK PM Rishi Sunak’s administration, several key ministers from this cabinet lost in their constituency in the 2024 UK General Elections. While the British premier has already conceded defeat to Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, eleven sitting Cabinet ministers lost their respective constituencies.

The list of big losers included stalwarts like the Defence Secretary, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and the leader of the UK House of Commons Penny Mordaunt. The incumbent cabinet has managed to create history for all the wrong reasons. The last time an incumbent administration performed this badly was in 1997 when 7 cabinet ministers lost in their respective constituencies.

Starmer’s Labour managed to garner a landslide victory in the snap polls called by Sunak himself. As Starmer heads towards Downing Street, this marked an end to the 14 years of reign by the Conservatives.

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List of Cabinet Ministers who lost their seats 

Following is the list of Cabinet Ministers who lost their seats in the UK House of Commons:

• Grant Shapps: Defence Secretary Grant Shapps lost his seat at Welwyn Hatfield to a Labour Party candidate by a margin of 3,799 votes. While Shapps won 16,078 votes, Labour’s Andrew Lewin managed to garner 19,877 votes.

• Gillian Keegan: Education Secretary Gillian Keegan lost her Chichester seat to the Liberal Democrats, who won with a majority of 12,172 votes. Meanwhile, Justine Secretary Alex Chalk lost Cheltenham to the Liberal Democrats as well. It is pertinent to note that Chalk has been an MP for Cheltenham since 2015, with his majority decreasing at each subsequent election.  

• Penny Mordaunt: The biggest shocker from the Conservative party was the defeat of the Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt who lost her seat in Portsmouth North to the Labour Party’s Amanda Martin. While Mordaunt won 13,715 votes, Martin won the seat with 14,495 votes.

• Alex Chalk: Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor since 2023, was handed over an embarrassing defeat by a Liberal Democrat candidate. While the Lord Chancellor won 17,866 votes, the Liberal Democrats won 25,076 in the constituency.

• Lucy Frazer: Culture Secretary lost her seat in Ely and East Cambridgeshire to the Liberal Democrats’ Charlotte Cane. However, she lost the seat by “a close margin” of 495 votes. Frazer was touted as Sunak’s loyalist and some of her prior posts included minister in the transport and justice departments, financial secretary to the Treasury and solicitor general.

• Johnny Mercer: Minster of Veterans’ Affairs Jhonny Mercer lost his seat in Plymouth Moor View to Labour candidate Fred Thomas. He came in second after he received 12,061 votes and lost his seat to Labour Party’s Fred Thomas who won 17,665 votes. Earlier this year, the Conservative leader sparked controversy when he was told by a judge to hand over the names of the people who told him about alleged special forces murders in Afghanistan.

• Michelle Donelan: Science Secretary Michelle Donelan lost her Melksham and Devizes seat to the Liberal Democrats. She received 17,630 votes, compared to Liberal Democrats’ Brian Mathew who won 20,031 votes, Donelan has been facing calls for resignation over what her critics called “incompetence” and was also slammed for expressing sympathies to Hamas.

• Simon Hart: Chief whip Simon Hart only managed to clinch third place in the newly created Caerfyrddin constituency, with Plaid Cymru’s Ann Davies taking the top spot. He had to resign from the post of Welsh secretary, shortly before Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson left the office.

• Mark Harper: The Transport Secretary lost his Forest of Dean seat to Labour challenger Matt Bishop. The Conservative leader who has been transport secretary since 2022, lost his seat by less than 300 votes.

• David TC Davies: The Welsh Secretary is touted as the most senior Conservative in Wales, he lost senior Conservatives in Wales He was unseated by Labour’s Catherine Fookes, who received 21,010 votes compared to 17,672 for Mr Davies.

• Victoria Prentis: Finally, Attorney General Victoria Prentis lost her Banbury seat to Labour’s Sean Woodcock who got 18,468 votes. Labour’s Sean Woodcock. The latter got 18,468 votes.

Another embarrassing defeat for the Tories was that of Former Prime Minister Liz Truss who lost her seat in South West Norfolk. She received 11,217 votes, losing to Labour’s Terry Jermy, who received 11,847. With this, Truss has become the first former prime minister for almost 90 years to lose their seat at a general election.

Sunak apologises for the catastrophe

While conceding to Starmer, Sunak took responsibility for the Conservative Party’s abysmal performance in the 2024 polls.

“The Labour Party has won this general election, and I’ve called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory. Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides. That is something that should give us all confidence in our country’s stability and future,” the British premier averred after the results for his constituency of Richmond and Northern Allerton were declared.

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“I am sorry. I take responsibility for the loss,” he added. Interestingly, this is the second time a party has garnered over 400 seats in the UK Parliament. Under the leadership of Tony Blair Labour won around 418 seats in the 1997 General Election.

With inputs from AP.