Two cabinet ministers are among the senior Conservatives to have lost their seats as the party suffers heavy defeats in constituencies across the country.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps saw a majority of more than 10,000 overturned in Welwyn Hatfield, while Justice Secretary Alex Chalk lost in the marginal seat of Cheltenham. Both seats fell to Labour.
Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland, who also lost his seat, told the BBC his party was was facing “electoral Armageddon”.
The BBC election results forecast suggests the Conservatives will have 154 MPs, down 218, while Labour will emerge as the largest party with 405 MPs.
If confirmed, it would be the worst result for the Conservatives in modern history.
Sir Robert said too many people in his party had focused on “personal agendas and jockeying for position” instead of “concentrating on doing the job that they were elected to do”.
“I’ve watched colleagues in the Conservative Party strike poses, write inflammatory op-eds, and say stupid things they have no evidence for, instead of concentrating on doing the job that they were elected to do,” the former justice secretary said.
Asked whether he was referring to former home secretary Suella Braverman, who days before polls opened published an article in the Daily Telegraph strongly critical of the government, he said: “Yes, and I’m afraid that’s not an isolated example.”
“I’m fed up of personal agendas and jockeying for position. The truth is now with the Conservatives facing electoral Armageddon, it’s going to be like a group of bald men arguing over a comb.
“It’s not about left and right. It’s about those who want to come into politics to do things, rather than to be something.”
Sir Robert said for the party to move further to the right would be a “disastrous mistake” that “would send us into the abyss”.
Other senior Conservatives have also acknowledged the party is heading for defeat.
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, widely expected to lose in Central Devon, said: “This is a very difficult moment for the Conservative party and I am obviously very sorry that a number of my colleagues… [are not] going to be getting back to parliament.”
Former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was “clearly a terrible night” for his party, that had come to take its “core vote for granted”.
“We need to win voters at every single election. If you take your base for granted… your voters will look to other parties.”
He thought the party had made a mistake by ousting Boris Johnson, who led it to victory in the 2019 election but was forced to step down as prime minister in 2022 following a series of scandals.
Former cabinet office minister Steve Baker, who BBC projections gave less than a 1% chance of holding onto his seat, said his party was having an “incredibly difficult night”.
He said Rishi Sunak had a “brilliant mind” but acknowledged he had made mistakes during the campaign, including the decision to leave D-Day commemorations early.
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