As Sir Keir Starmer of Labour, the successor to Rishi Sunak walked into 10 Downing Street, the eyes of the country were fixed on him.
But another changing of the guard was happening right next door, as Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also vacated his property at No 11—daughter in one hand, dog lead in the other.
His replacement was a historic one, with Rachel Reeves becoming Britain’s first-ever female head of the Treasury.
Labour’s historic landslide election victory has left a Tory bloodbath in its wake as several notable figures from the previous cabinet failed to win over the electorate.
Nevertheless, Hunt, the MP for Godalming and Ash, was one of the few prominent Conservatives to hold onto his seat with a majority of less than 900 votes.
Among the previous cabinet members who were taken out by the ‘loveless’ Labour landslide were Chief Whip Simon Hart, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer and Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer.
The Tory purge also affected Penny Mordaunt, Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary Mark Harper, Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, Attorney General Victoria Prentis, and Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer.
Despite the devastating loss, the former Chancellor told his children, ‘Don’t be sad; this is the magic of democracy’ before they strolled down Downing Street with his wife and their pooch Poppy.
The final walk down the famed street was perceived by some political commentators as a victory lap of sorts, as the MP managed to walk away with his seat amid massive Conservative losses this general election.
But Mr. Hunt foolishly strolled by the waiting cab as the family prepared to depart from the famous street for the last time, and his wife Lucia promptly informed him of its intended use.
Speaking after he managed to retain his seat, the former Chancellor confessed that the Tory party had lost the trust of voters.
He conceded: ‘Across the country, tonight is a bitter pill to swallow for the Conservative Party. We have achieved much in government, and the economy is transformed from where it was post-pandemic.
‘Some Conservatives will wonder whether the scale of our crushing defeat is really justified. But when you lose the trust of the electorate, all that matters is having the courage and humility to ask yourself why, so that you can earn it back again.
Adding a touching tribute to his former leader. He said, ‘I was incredibly proud to serve under Rishi Sunak, but I wish the incoming Labour government well.
I’m happy that both the new and old leaders, as well as their MPs, have shown such grace in both failure and victory. All parties received well wishes and there was no defamation. It was a respectful transition that was good and courteous, regardless of whether it was heartfelt or not.
However, they’re almost all part of the same political elite. They don’t really badmouth their colleagues because it’s just musical chairs, not real change.
Jeremy Hunt and his family walked out of No 11 with doggy in tow, waltzing along like some sort of hero who has managed to hold onto just about every position in office without knowing anything about them and certainly not improving any of them either. He’s the biggest Walter Mitty joke of a politician in the modern-day UK, and given Labour’s immigration policies and housing plans, they will probably convert Downing Street into one-bedroom flats—the British need not apply!
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 