Conservative candidate and ardent Brexit supporter Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has been defeated by Labour’s Dan Norris in the new North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.
The 55-year-old arch-Brexiteer was elected as the MP for North East Somerset in 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019 – when he achieved 50.4% of the vote and had a majority of 14,729.
But he has now been unseated by Labour’s West of England mayor Dan Norris, who won 20,739 votes compared to 15,420 for Sir Jacob. Turnout for the poll was 69.38%.
Sir Jacob, a father-of-six, congratulated both Mr Norris and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who he said he “led his party to what seems to be a historic victory”.
Mr Norris told how Sir Jacob had defeated him during an election in 2010 and he was now able to return the “compliment”, paying tribute to the Conservative’s “genuine care” for the constituency.
In 2010, Mr Norris lost his seat to Sir Jacob having represented the Wansdyke constituency – which became North East Somerset that year – since 1997.
Sir Jacob said: “May I begin by giving my warmest congratulations to Dan Norris, who has been a servant of North East Somerset or Wansdyke as it then was before and I am sure will be a devoted constituency MP in the future.
“And congratulate Sir Keir Starmer who has led his party to what seems to be a historic victory. And this is the great virtue of our democracy, so I congratulate both of them.”
Sir Jacob then thanked his agent, campaign director and constituency staff who had “worked so hard over the last 14 years”.
He said: “And one final thought, from Caractacus Potts, and that is from the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success. So thank you very much everybody, and good night.”
Caractacus Potts is one of the main characters in Ian Fleming’s novel and played by Dick Van Dyke in the film Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang. The song, The Roses of Success, is featured in that film.
Mr Norris described defeating Sir Jacob as “Mogg-xit” and praised Sir Keir who he said had “transformed the Labour Party”.
He said: “I want to thank Mr Rees-Mogg because he has done a very good job in supporting his constituency until now, obviously.
“I understand exactly how that feels because Mr Rees-Mogg gave me that compliment some years ago and I’ve been able to return that.
“What I do not doubt about Mr Rees-Mogg is his genuine concern and care about the constituency and I want to honour that and reflect that tonight and thank him for that work.
“As I said to him earlier, when we were speaking, you carry a baton as an MP and you carry it for as long as you can and then you pass it to someone else and it happens to be my turn to take it back.”
Sir Jacob, who attended Eton before reading history at Trinity College, Oxford, worked in finance and set up his own company, Somerset Capital Management, in 2007.
He was appointed to the role of Leader of the Commons in July 2019, then served as Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government efficiency in 2022.
In October 2022, the Eurosceptic resigned from the government following Liz Truss’ short tenure.
His political career has included some controversial moments.
In September 2019, Sir Jacob was criticised for lounging along the front bench of the House of Commons during a Brexit debate.
Later that year, in November, he apologised for saying that leaving the Grenfell building when it was burning was the “common sense” thing to do, which was against the instructions of the fire service.
And in April 2022, he left notes on empty desks for civil servants reading “sorry you were out when I visited”, as he wanted them to stop working from home.
The same year, he dismissed as a “non-story” the fact the Metropolitan Police had issued more than 100 fines over the partygate scandal.
Sir Jacob lives in a 17th century manor house in West Harptree with his wife, Helena, and their six children Peter, Mary, Thomas, Anselm, Alfred and Sixtus.
In an interview with Nigel Farage for LBC in 2017, Sir Jacob said he had never changed a nappy, adding: “I don’t think nanny would approve because I’m sure she’d think I wouldn’t do it properly.”
The politician, nicknamed the Honourable Member for the 18th century, is a classic car enthusiast who owns a 1936 and a 1968 Bentley.
His first tweet, posted in July 2017, read Tempora mutantur, et nos mutamur in illis – translating from Latin to English as Times change, and we change with them.
In 2022, he was made a Knight Bachelor in the former prime minister Boris Johnson’s resignation honours.
