FLICK Drummond is resigned to the end of her parliamentary career after her defeat in the General Election.

She lost by more than 13,000 votes to rival Danny Chambers who won Winchester for the Liberal Democrats. It was the first time the Lib Dems have taken Winchester since 2005.

After a few hours sleep Ms Drummond told the Hampshire Chronicle there was little she could have done to resist the rising tide of Lib Dem support across the south that saw them also win Eastleigh and nearly take Romsey and Southampton North.

And it is the end for her: "That's it. That was my sixth General Election. There is no way that I can do it again, I'm 62, so at the next election I will be 67. I would like to have done another five years because I had a lot of ideas. But on the doorsteps there was very much an anti-Conservative Government feeling which became more obvious."

Flick Drummond in the House of Commonsprobably would have retained the Meon Valley seat, which disappeared in a boundary review, but believed she could win the Winchester seat vacated by Steve Brine.

 

"I thought I had a fighting chance because I brought in 20,000 constituents from the Meon Valley into Winchester. And we really did work very hard.

"I'm proud of the things we achieved. We delivered on our 2019 manifesto to a large degree such as the Environment Act, plans for water and domestic abuse. We delivered Brexit. But it was overshadowed by a lot of the antics of my colleagues. Partygate was horrendous but people forget Covid and the furlough payments and business grants."

Ms Drummond said she had been planning for an autumn election but plans were scuppered by the surprise announcement of a July 4 election.

READ MORE HERE: Lib Dem Danny Chambers snatches Winchester from Conservatives

She said she was sad for four members of staff, two based in Alresford, who will lose their jobs.

On the future of the Conservative Party she disagrees with Suella Braverman, the Fareham MP, who has called for closer links with Reform and a move to the right.

"I am a One Nation Conservative, very much in the centre. A lot of what Suella Braverman wrote in the The Daily Telegraph I disagree with. We are a broad church. I think most of us are One Nation Conservatives and enough have got back in as MPs. If we veer to the right we will be unelectable for a very long time."

She questioned whether the Labour Party, also a broad church, will be able to hold together with its huge majority of 170 seats.

Asked what advice she would give to Mr Chambers, she said: "Make sure you work your socks off and look after every constituent and keep your loved ones close to you."