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on the election night prior to the calling of his own seat. Paxman decisively opened the interview with the question "So
Michael, are you going to miss the limo?", a clear reference to the strong feeling going around on election night that he had lost his own seat although it was claimed that it was
378:
I saw that the exit poll was predicting a 160-seat majority for Labour. I thought, "When is Paxman going to ask me have I lost my seat?", because I deduced from that that I had. I then drove the car to my constituency and I knew I'd lost. But I also saw
479:"Were you up for Portillo?" (i.e., "Were you awake/did you see Portillo's result announced on television?"). Portillo himself commented, thirteen years later, that as a consequence "My name is now synonymous with eating a bucketload of shit in public."
433:
There was a brief ripple of laughter when
Cunneen read out Portillo's given names – Michael Denzil Xavier – and then quiet as he announced Portillo's vote – 19,137 (41.1%) – followed by some applause. After announcing the results for
373:. Portillo was then stumped with the follow-up question: "Are we seeing the end of the Conservative Party as a credible force in British politics?" He has since admitted that he knew he had lost his seat by the time of the interview:
442:) – 289 (0.6%) – and waiting for brief cheers from Storkey's supporters to subside, Cunneen announced Twigg's name and then his vote – 20,570 votes (44.2%) – triggering sustained loud celebrations from Labour supporters.
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387:. I saw this and I thought if there's one thing I do when I lose, I'm going to lose with as much dignity as I can muster and not be like this David Mellor—Goldsmith thing.
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355:. Portillo had been widely expected to contest the Conservative leadership after the General Election, which without a Commons seat he was unable to do.
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Portillo's defeat represented a 17.4% swing to Labour. Although Twigg retained the seat with an increased majority in the
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newspaper on the weekend before the election which showed that
Portillo held only a three-point lead in his hitherto
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The result came as a shock to many politicians and commentators, and came to symbolise the extent of the Labour
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Leisure Centre in
Enfield, while Cunneen read out the results, starting with these candidates:
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Mayor
Patrick Cunneen was the returning officer. The candidates lined up on the stage at the
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764:"Remembering John Smith 20 years on: What would his Government have looked like?"
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Video of
Conservative Michael Portillo losing his seat to Labour's Stephen Twigg
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simply a reference to
Portillo losing his role and privileges as
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The election result was announced live on national television.
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Andrew
Malakouna (Mal – Voice of the People) – 229 (0.5%).
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Constituency contests in United
Kingdom general elections
22:
1997 United
Kingdom general election in Enfield Southgate
934:
861:"BBC NEWS - Election 2005 - Results - Enfield Southgate"
383:. David Mellor had this really bad tempered spat with
1279:United Kingdom general election results in London
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920:
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1274:Elections in the London Borough of Enfield
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804:
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488:General Election 1997: Enfield, Southgate
453:won it back for the Conservative Party in
740:. Guardian Media Group. 12 September 1999
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810:"Nation rejoices as Portillo loses seat"
734:"Nation rejoices as Portillo loses seat"
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1264:1997 United Kingdom general election
936:1997 United Kingdom general election
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304:1997 United Kingdom general election
1240:1997 United Kingdom local elections
302:returned a memorable result in the
13:
1101:Social Democratic and Labour Party
358:He had a memorable interview with
14:
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1205:Enfield Southgate in the election
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847:"Stephen Twigg and THAT election"
845:Ferguson, Mark (19 March 2012).
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1200:Tatton in the general election
878:"My moment is yours, Ed Balls"
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371:Secretary of State for Defence
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306:, when the seat's incumbent
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1184:Things Can Only Get Better
1013:Appointed prime minister:
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333:under the leadership of
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969:MPs who lost their seat
16:British election result
1217:New Labour, New Danger
457:with a swing of 8.7%.
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1071:Ulster Unionist Party
447:2001 general election
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816:. 12 September 1999.
308:Member of Parliament
298:The constituency of
832:Enfield Independent
618:Christian Democrat
489:
167:Last election
23:
1029:Parties elected to
880:Michael Portillo,
487:
440:Christian Democrat
262:MP before election
181:Popular vote
70:parliamentary seat
21:
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1245:
1131:UK Unionist Party
1061:Liberal Democrats
849:. labourlist.org.
834:. 5 January 2012.
712:
711:
644:Andrew Malakouna
571:Liberal Democrats
461:'Portillo moment'
416:) – 4,966 (10.7%)
414:Liberal Democrats
331:landslide victory
300:Enfield Southgate
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161:Liberal Democrats
68:Enfield Southgate
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1222:Referendum Party
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1135:Robert McCartney
1033:House of Commons
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1085:Alex Salmond
1051:Conservative
1008:Conservative
886:, 6 May 2010
883:The Guardian
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814:The Observer
813:
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773:. Retrieved
767:
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742:. Retrieved
738:The Observer
737:
697:Conservative
692:
653:
632:
622:Alan Storkey
609:
548:Conservative
538:
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436:Alan Storkey
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381:David Mellor
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348:The Observer
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271:Conservative
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156:Conservative
96:Third party
90:First party
49:
18:
1195:Martin Bell
1125:Ian Paisley
1115:Gerry Adams
1091:Plaid Cymru
947:MPs elected
775:17 February
744:25 November
393:Declaration
197:Percentage
1253:Categories
1190:Blair Babe
1055:John Major
1045:Tony Blair
1015:Tony Blair
1004:John Major
998:Incumbent
715:References
594:Referendum
496:Candidate
341:Background
335:Tony Blair
318:, lost to
277:Elected MP
127:Candidate
50:1 May 1997
1228:The Queen
1111:Sinn Féin
1105:John Hume
790:This Week
660:Majority
473:1997 loss
361:Newsnight
353:safe seat
1176:See also
1162:Scotland
957:Scotland
1152:England
979:Results
794:BBC One
674:Turnout
557:19,137
529:20,570
399:Enfield
189:19,137
185:20,570
173:28,422
170:12,859
101:
87:
75:Turnout
1041:Labour
1019:Labour
706:+17.4
690:Labour
663:1,433
603:1,342
580:4,966
563:−16.8
539:+18.0
516:Labour
499:Votes
493:Party
483:Result
477:cliché
320:Labour
310:, the
286:Labour
214:Swing
209:10.7%
206:41.1%
192:4,966
176:7,080
151:Labour
147:Party
1167:Wales
962:Wales
702:Swing
695:from
680:70.6
586:−3.8
583:10.7
560:41.1
534:44.2
364:host
233:16.8
222:18.0
78:70.6%
1031:the
777:2018
746:2012
693:gain
666:3.1
650:0.5
647:229
629:0.6
626:289
606:2.9
471:The
455:2005
244:3.8
201:44.2
55:2001
45:1992
654:N/A
633:N/A
610:N/A
322:'s
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