Top Tory Carnage
The extent of the Tory rout by Labour was illustrated by the number of Cabinet ministers and senior figures who have suddenly seen their political careers torpedoed.
Among the casualties was the Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind, who lost his seat in Edinburgh Pentlands.
He was just one of many Tory ministers subsumed in an avalanche of Labour victories. He was beaten by 5,000 votes in a 10% swing to Labour.
The Defence Secretary, Michael Portillo, was also sent tumbling out of the Commons. His Enfield and Southgate seat was only on the outer limits of Labour's target list, but he was swept out as Labour turned the capital red. He was beaten by Stephen Twigg in a voting swing of 17.5%.
Mr Portillo had been accused of campaigning for the leadership of the party, and was seen as the front runner behind Mr Major. He said: "One thing I will not miss is all the questions about the leadership." He said it was a "terrible night for the Conservatives."
In Bristol West, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, William Waldegrave, lost to his Labour opponent by 1,500 votes. But the Education Secretary, Gillian Shephard - who had been widely tipped to lose in Norfolk South-West, kept her seat.
The President of the Board of Trade, Ian Lang, the Scottish Secretary, Michael Forsyth, and junior ministers John Bowis, Ian Sproat, Robin Squire, Tom Sackville and Sir Nicholas Bonsor were all defeated.
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Forsyth - out
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Mr Forsythy lost in his Stirling seat after 14 years as the serving MP. Five years ago he survived, against the odds, but this time there was no escape.
"The only kind of silver lining is that one or two of the Scottish media put bets on me winning," he said. The fact of politics is that you live and die by the sword of the ballot box." Mr Forsyth was defeated by 6,400 by Labour's Anne McGuire.
The Scottish National Party leader, Alex Salmond, said he was "pleased to see Michael Forsyth's defeat". He said some of Mr Forsyth's policies "have been deeply damaging to Scottish society."
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Rumbold - out
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Among other well known Conservative MPs to lose their seats: Tory grandee Sir Marcus Fox; the former 'Minister for Fun' David Mellor; Party vice-chairman Dame Angela Rumbold - who'd made plain her opposition to the European single currency; Neil Hamilton; the former Health minister, Edwina Currie; the former runner, Seb Coe; the former TV presenter, Gyles Brandreth; and Sir Rhodes Boyson.
The flamboyant David Mellor also lost his seat to the Labour Party. His Putney seat was contested by the leader and founder of the Referendum Party, Sir James Goldsmith, who got only 3.5% of the vote and therefore lost his deposit. Mr Mellor told BBC television how the Tory campaign felt.
"It's become pretty apparent that a tidal wave has burst over the Conservative Party tonight. It wasn't a question of putting your hand in the dyke, it was a question of the sea wall collapsing all around you."
Mr Mellor told the BBC's Michael Buerk "Thank goodness I have some other shots in my locker. The reason why MPs do other things is to be able to support their families on nights like this. I'm afraid you may not have heard the last of me."
The carnage devastates not only the ranks of well-known and high-profile Conservatives. The swing to Labour means that the next parliament will see no Conservative seats in Scotland or Wales.
For details of every constituency, check our results service.
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