Election disaster for Labour's health team
By Tom Ireland, 07 May 2010
All of Labour's health ministers except the health secretary, Andy Burnham, have lost their seats following Thursday's general election.
Health minister Mike O'Brien (pictured) lost his seat following a 7.7% swing to the Conservatives. Tory candidate Dan Byles beat Mr O'Brien by just 54 votes in the closely fought marginal of North Warwickshire.
Health ministers Ann Keen and Gillian Merron, and minister for care services Phil Hope, also lost their seats in Brentford and Isleworth, south-west London, Corby and East Northants, and Lincoln, respectively.
GPs and nurses standing in the 2010 election for the first time also did not fair well.
Dr Sarah Wollaston kept a safe Conservative seat in Totnes, Devon, but the Lib Dems' Dr Charles West and Labour's Dr Ian Campbell both lost out to Tory candidates. GP Dr Phillip Lee also won for the Conservatives in Bracknell, Berkshire.
In Hexham, Northumberland, independent candidate and GP Dr Stephen Ford came fourth with the Conservative candidate succesfully defending a relatively safe seat.
Former nurse Nadine Dorries kept her safe Conservative seat in Mid-Bedfordshire but nurses Rosie Sharpley (Lib Dem, Woking) Karen Jennings, (Lab, Hornsey and Wood Green, North London) and David Harding-Price (Lib Dem, Sleaford and North Hykeham, Lincolnshire) were all also unsuccessful.
Conservative shadow health ministers Anne Milton and Stephen O'Brien, and shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley all held their seats.
Despite large Conservative gains nationally, the party does not have enough seats to form a majority, resulting in a hung parliament.
Editors' blog: Will the NHS be left hanging (and could this be a good thing?)
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