Penny Mordaunt loses seat as Conservative support collapses
Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt has narrowly lost in her Portsmouth North constituency.
Traditionally a bellwether seat, Labour's Amanda Martin has won with 14,495 votes to Ms Mordaunt's 13,715 - an 18% swing.
Ms Mordaunt has served as Lord President of the Council since 2022 and as MP for Portsmouth North since 2010.
She told Ms Martin: "You are now working for the the best employer ever - the people of Portsmouth are wonderful, hard-working, big-hearted and anything that I ever achieved was made possible by them."
ITV/EPAShe continued: "I thank them for the opportunities they have given me.
"I will never stop caring for these people or this place.
"In all things I have been guided by them - their common sense, their determination, their hopes, their pride in our city and our nation."
When the result was announced at Portsmouth Guildhall, there were audible gasps of shock.
'Worked our socks off'
Speaking on BBC Radio Solent, she said: "I never take any election for granted and we worked our socks off and we've worked our socks off for 14 years, and sometimes the tide is against you. "
She wished Ms Martin "well" and added she would "do everything we can to support her".
In 2022 both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak asked Ms Mordaunt to serve as Leader of the Commons and Lord President of the Council.
In this role, she oversaw both the Accession Council following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III.
The Tory minister won praise for her stamina, carrying the 17th Century Sword of State and Jewelled Sword of Offering for more than an hour during King's Coronation.
Ms Mordaunt is also well remembered for her appearance on reality television programme Splash!, which she said was "out of her comfort zone".
She held roles under Conservative leaders Sir John Major and William Hague, and also worked for George W Bush's presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004.
Under the coalition government of David Cameron, she served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Decentralisation from 2014 to 2015.
After the 2015 general election, she became the first woman to serve as defence secretary.
She was also the first woman to hold the role of Minister for the Armed Forces that year.
In 2016 she was named Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, and in 2017 she became the Secretary of State for International Development.
The 51-year-old has been a Royal Navy reservist since 2009, completed officer training in 2013, and gained honorary commission in 2019.
She now holds the honorary rank of captain.
The daughter of a paratrooper and a special needs teacher, Ms Mordaunt has lived in her home city of Portsmouth since the age of two.
She was educated at Oaklands RC Comprehensive School and was the first member of her family to go to university.
Before studying philosophy at Reading University, she worked as a magician's assistant for a member of the Portsmouth and District Magic Circle, Will Ayling, author of The Art of Illusion and Oriental Conjuring and Magic.
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