Swinson may lose seat in Lib Dem blow
JO Swinson appeared almost certain to lose her seat to the SNP last night on a disastrous night for the Liberal Democrats.
According to the exit poll, the party leader’s chances of losing her East Dunbartonshire seat was 95 per cent – making her likely to be one of the biggest scalps of the election.
In what looked to be a misjudged campaign by the Liberal Democrats, the party was predicted to lose seven seats, including some of its most prominent MPs, including Chuka Umunna.
However, Luciana Berger seemed likely to pick up a seat off the Tories in Finchley.
If the exit poll proves correct, the party will have dipped well below their current tally of 20. Miss Swinson looked set to become one of the few sitting party leaders in British election hiscouldn’t tory to lose their seat. Even if she keeps East Dunbartonshire, she will almost certainly lose her job as party leader.
She lost East Dunbartonshire in 2015 following a Lib Dem bloodbath in the wake of the Coalition, but won it back in 2017.
Should the Lib Dems win just 13 seats as predicted, there will be an inquest into her leadership. She has previously insisted she would not stand down if the Lib Dems lose seats.
The former business minister in the Coalition won the party leadership this summer after Sir Vince Cable stepped down.
She took over at a high point for the party, following a spectacular set of European and local election results. When the election was called, the party was polling above 20 per cent, and was bolstered by the defections of several wellknown MPs from other parties.
But Miss Swinson’s decision to switch the party’s stance from backing a second referendum to revoking Article 50 to stop Brexit has not gone down well on doorsteps, and let Labour attract anti-Brexit supporters from the party.
She positioned herself initially as a potential prime minister, but was forced to backtrack when polls put the party on just 12 per cent.
She also struggled to appeal personally, with polls suggesting voters liked her less the more they see her, and a recent poll by Ipsos Mori found that she had a net favourability rating of minus 31 – less popular than Jeremy Corbyn.