ANALYSIS

Scandal and by-election defeats: the MPs behind lost Tory majority

MP by MP, one of the sharpest falls in a sitting government’s majority

Rishi Sunak has lost Natalie Elphicke, who defected to the Labour Party, Matt Hancock, who had the whip removed after heading to the I’m A Celebrity… jungle and Neil Parish, who resigned amid allegations he watched pornography in the Commons
Rishi Sunak has lost Natalie Elphicke, who defected to the Labour Party, Matt Hancock, who had the whip removed after heading to the I’m A Celebrity… jungle and Neil Parish, who resigned amid allegations he watched pornography in the Commons
Jessica Sharkey
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Will Lloyd
The Times

In December 2019 Boris Johnson’s Conservatives won an 80-seat majority — the party’s largest since 1987, and bigger than any since 2001.

“Parliament must change so that we in parliament are working for you, the British people,” Johnson said in his victory speech.

Fast forward five years and parliament has indeed changed.

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On Wednesday, with the shock defection of Dover MP Natalie Elphicke to Labour, the number of Tory MPs was reduced to 344. There are 306 other MPs, making a majority of 38. However, since the seven Sinn Fein MPs do not take their seats, the practical working majority is 45. Each Conservative MP who defects or whose seat is lost reduces the