Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson loses her seat in a shock general election result

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Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson loses her seat in a shock general election result
Jo Swinson
  • Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson loses her seat in major election upset.
  • Swinson lost her seat to the Scottish National Party after a disappointing night for her party.
  • Swinson went into the UK election claiming that she could be the next prime minister.
  • Swinson replaced Sir Vince Cable as Lib Dem leader earlier this year. The anti-Brexit party will begin its search for a new leader.
  • Boris Johnson's Conservatives are heading for a comfortable majority.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has lost her seat in a shock result, following a difficult night for her party in the UK general election.

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Scottish National Party candidate Amy Callaghan defeated Swinson by a slim majority of just 149 votes.

Swinson had fone into the general election aiming to win dozens of seats and initially claimed that she could be prime minister.

However, an exit poll conducted for major broadcasters and published on Thursday evening predicted that the Lib Dems would win 13 seats at the general election. This is one more seat than they won at the last election in 2017.

However, in one of the night's most stunning results, Swinson lost her East Dunbartonshire seat, meaning the pro-European Union party will be forced to find a new leader.

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Swinson replaced Sir Vince Cable as the party's leader earlier this year.

The same poll said that Boris Johnson's Conservatives were on course to win a sizeable parliamentary majority.

Speaking after losing her seat, Swinson said the success of Johnson's Conservatives and the pro-independence SNP "will bring dread and dismay and people are looking for hope."

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