UK Cabinet ministers defeated in a record number of general elections

A record number of Cabinet ministers lost their seats in Britain’s general election on Friday, leaving only two clear candidates for party leadership if Rishi Sunak resigns.

Nine members of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s senior cabinet lost their bids for reelection, surpassing the record of seven who did not win in 1997. The incumbent Conservatives were soundly defeated by the main opposition Labour party.

The most well-known loser was Grant Shapps, who served as the UK’s defense secretary for almost a year before losing his seat in Welwyn Hatfield, which is located north of London.

Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the Commons, lost in Portsmouth North on the south coast of England. She gained notoriety throughout the world last May when she carried a sword during King Charles III’s coronation.