Updated Jul 5, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss loses seat in U.K. election

Rebecca Falconer

Former prime minister Liz Truss has lost her Norfolk South West seat to the Labour Party, at Alive Lynnsport in King's Lynn, Norfolk, during the count in the 2024 General Election. Picture date: Friday July 5. — Former Prime Minister Liz Truss reacts on Friday to losing her Norfolk South West seat to Labour Party candidate Terry Jermy in King's Lynn, Norfolk, during the count in the 2024 General Election. Photo: Jacob King/PA Images via Getty Images

Liz Truss, the shortest-serving prime minister in British history, lost her seat to a candidate representing the Labour Party, which has swept to power in the country's general election, officials confirmed Friday.

The big picture: Truss, who resigned after a tumultuous six weeks as Conservative Party leader, is the first former U.K. prime minister in nearly 90 years to lose her seat, per the Financial Times.

Others to lose their seats included Penny Mordaunt, leader of the U.K. Parliament's House of Commons, who was touted as among the favorites to replace Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should he step down as Conservative Party leader.

Details: Truss could not immediately be seen as officials prepared to announce the results for her now-former seat in Norfolk South West, which she won in 2019 with a 26,000-vote majority.

Some of those present began slow clapping before she appeared onstage.
There were gasps as it was announced that Truss had lost by over 600 votes to Labour's Terry Jermy.

Flashback: "An absolute disgrace": U.K. PM Liz Truss under fire from own party

Editor's note: This article has been updated with more details on Truss' loss, further context and a photo from the Norfolk South West vote count.

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Former Prime Minister Liz Truss loses seat in U.K. election

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