Lib Dems Overturn Huge Majority To Defeat Education Secretary Gillian Keegan
The Liberal Democrats have defeated cabinet minister Gillian Keegan. (Alamy)
1 min read
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has lost to the Liberal Democrats in Chichester, making her the latest Cabinet minister to lose their seat in the 2024 General Election.
Lib Dem candidate Jess Brown-Fuller will now replace Keegan as the MP for Chichester after securing 25,540 votes versus Keegan's 13,368.
The result in the south of England represents a high-proflile scalp for Ed Davey's party in its bid to win 'Blue Wall' seats and a major blow to Rishi Sunak's Tories.
Keegan's majority in the constituency in the 2019 was 21,490, with the loss of the seat demonstrating the scale of collapse in Conservative support at this years election. The result suggests tactical voting played a key part in Keegan's defeat.
Follow the General Election results as they come in.
Other cabinet ministers vulnerable to losing their seat in the early hours of Friday morning include Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk have already suffered defeat.
"School's out for summer for Gillian Keegan," said a Liberal Democrat source ahead of the formal announcement of their victory in Keegan's seat.
"We are confident of clinching a win in Chichester, making her the first Cabinet Minister of the night to lose her seat.
"This seat has been Conservative for 100 years, winning here is an extraordinary achievement which has unseated the Education Secretary."
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