Election 2024

Election 2024: Education secretary Gillian Keegan loses her seat

Loss in Chichester to the Lib Dems comes amid disastrous night for the Tories

Loss in Chichester to the Lib Dems comes amid disastrous night for the Tories

Education secretary Gillian Keegan unveiled the government's final pay offer to teaching unions earlier this week

Education secretary Gillian Keegan has lost her seat in Parliament.

The Liberal Democrats defeated the Conservative politician in Chichester by 25,540 votes to Keegan’s 13,368.

Keegan said it was “not the outcome we wanted, but clearly, the people have spoken across the country and here in Chichester”.

It comes amid a disastrous night for the Tories, who the exit poll predicts will win just 131 seats, while Labour is predicted to take 410 in a landslide.

Keegan has served as education secretary since October 2022, when she was appointed to the role by prime minister Rishi Sunak. She was the tenth Conservative to hold the role since 2010, and the sixth since the last election in 2019.

She is among several senior Conservatives who have lost their seats, including House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, who lost to former teacher and union activist Amanda Martin in Portsmouth, justice secretary Alex Chalk and defence secretary Grant Shapps.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Latest education roles from

Mentor, Wellbeing and Enrichment Officer

Mentor, Wellbeing and Enrichment Officer

Capel Manor College

Motor Vehicle Lecturer

Motor Vehicle Lecturer

The Bedford College Group

Learner Support Workers (Term Time only)

Learner Support Workers (Term Time only)

Riverside College

Lecturer in Sports & Uniformed Public Services

Lecturer in Sports & Uniformed Public Services

Bournemouth and Poole College

Engineering and Welding Apprenticeship Trainer

Engineering and Welding Apprenticeship Trainer

MidKent College

Consultant and Senior Consultant, Schools and Academy Trusts

Consultant and Senior Consultant, Schools and Academy Trusts

Peridot Partners

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

How tailored coaching training can transform whole-school cultures

Sophie Enstone, Assistant Principal Learning and Teaching, Goffs Academy, shares her perspective on her coaching journey, how it’s been...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Catch Up® Early Years research project has a positive impact on younger learners in Literacy and Numeracy.

Catch Up® has recently concluded a 3-year Early Years research project. The project sought to develop and trial...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

National competition – can your students solve the ocean plastics crisis?

University College London launches fully resourced national schools competition to tackle ocean plastics.

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

EUK Education – helping you inspire, educate, and inform students on STEM and career paths

EUK Education is the new home for all your STEM education and careers needs. Loaded with quality curriculum-linked programmes,...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

Election 2024

Former science teacher and her ex-pupil elected as new Labour MPs

'It's just lovely and I feel like a bit of a proud mum, I'm just so incredibly proud'

Samantha Booth
Election 2024

SEND moved into schools minister McKinnell’s brief

Move to align special needs with schools responsibilities comes after education secretary said she's 'gripping the issue'

Freddie Whittaker
Election 2024

SEND crisis must be ‘first order issue’ for new government

Labour has inherited a system on its knees with councils facing bankruptcy, parents forced into court and schools crying...

Freddie Whittaker
Election 2024

Catherine McKinnell: 9 facts about the new schools minister

Roles have not been officially confirmed, but one of McKinnell's colleagues has said she will cover schools brief

Freddie Whittaker

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *