The UK General Election has been a “catastrophe” for the Conservatives and has put the party at risk of collapse, according to a former MP and attorney general.
With just five seats left to declare, the Tories have returned 119 seats - losing 250 - while Keir Starmer’s Labour has returned 411 seats and is set to secure a majority of around 170 seats in the House of Commons.
Among the high-profile Tories to lose their seats were former Prime Minister Liz Truss, House Leader Penny Mordaunt, and Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg.
On Newstalk Breakfast, former Tory MP Dominic Grieve said the party is now facing collapse.
“It has serious problems, and it has largely contributed to its own undoing,” he said.
“Whether it can keep the coalition of interest that has traditionally voted Conservative together, I think that’s the big question for the next couple of years. Otherwise, it may be that the Conservative Party is finished.
“It will have to do some very hard thinking because, at the end of the day, at this election, it lost the support of the Reform fringe to reform, but it also lost a huge swathe of middle England.
“You only have to look at the seats picked up by the Liberal Democrats in the South West and South East and the losses to Labour to see the catastrophe that’s befallen it.”
England-only party
Former UK Government special advisor Lauren McDevitt said it was a “devastating result” for Conservatives like herself.
“We’ve lost everything in Wales; I think we still have one or two in Scotland; it’s a total wipeout at the national politics level,” she said.
“We are very close to being an England-only party, and I think when that happens for the Conservative Party, we begin to think like little Englanders, which is really bad for our future.
“In order to win in the United Kingdom, we have to win in the United Kingdom, which means that we now have to go back to Westminster and say to the newly small party that you absolutely are not allowed to forget about Wales or Scotland.”
Westminister, London, the UK.Conceding power this morning, Rishi Sunak said he has already reached out to congratulate his opponent.
“The Labour Party has won this General Election, and I have called Sir Keir Starmer to congratulate him on his victory,” he said.
“Today, power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner with goodwill on all sides, and that is something we should be grateful for.
“The British people have delivered a sobering verdict tonight, and there is much to learn and reflect on.”
Mr Sunak added that he took “responsibility for the loss”.
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Main image: Main image: Rishi Sunak conceding UK election defeat earlier today as YouTuber Niko Omilana holds an 'L' behind him. Image: Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo
