A change in colour for bellwether seat Battersea could be an omen of big Labour gains elsewhere in the country.
BBC political editor Laura Kuennsberg tweeted at 12.38am: “Tory sources say Jane Ellison has lost Battersea”.
Ms Ellison has retained the seat since 2010, though it was held by Labour prior to that.
Current Labour challenger Marsha De Cordova, a councillor for Larkhall ward, is registered blind and has previously said her decision to run for parliament came from her experiences as a disabled woman.
She opposed Brexit and has vowed to “fight against a Tory ‘Hard Brexit’.”
She has promised to locally “work to get more homes and better rent levels in our area and fight the cuts to our schools”.
A Balham resident, Ms Ellison won the seat for the Conservatives in 2010, holding the seat with a majority of 7,938, or 15.6%, in 2015.
She was formerly a London borough councillor for Barnet and held the position of public health minister from 2013-2016. She was appointed as financial secretary to the Treasury in July 2016.
She opposed Brexit, but has said she takes a ‘practical approach’ and accepts the national result and is focused on getting the best deal for her constituents.
Pic courtesy of Clar Ni Fhearail @clarefarrell, with thanks
