Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith loses Redditch
Updated on 07 May 2010
Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith crashes to defeat to the Conservative party in her Redditch constituency seat by 19,138 to 13,317.
The scandal-hit former "Blair babe", who was criticised in the expenses scandal for designating her sister's house as her main residence and her husband claiming two pornographic films on expenses, avoided the media when she arrived at the Town Hall with her husband just after 3.25am.
Redditch was high on the list of Conservative target seats, and the result was a 9.2 per cent swing from Labour to the Tories - a majority of 5,821.
Jacqui Smith congratulated her Conservative rival Karen Lumley, and said: "It is a good thing to take part in an election when you fear you are going to lose as well as when you know you are going to win."
Before the result, Ms Lumley, said she was looking forward to a "new change" under David Cameron.
"Obviously I'm hoping third time lucky, Redditch is my home, it's my family's home, we love it here," she said.
Jacqui Smith, the first female Home Secretary, stood down from the cabinet last summer, announcing her departure shortly before the local and European elections.
Ms Smith was heavily criticised during the expenses scandal for claiming a room in her sister's house in Nunhead, south London, as her main residence instead of her family home in Redditch.
It followed shortly after her husband apologised for any embarrassment over an expenses claim which included two adult films.
