ANNE Snelgrove suffered a shock defeat when she was voted out of office in the early hours of Friday morning.

She looked stoney-faced as returning officer Steven Taylor called all the candidates over to one side to show them to numbers.

Tory Robert Buckland won the seat with a 3,546 majority.

Each of the candidates in turn shook her hand and then Mrs Snelgrove hugged her husband, Mike, and members of her team, many of whom were now in tears.

Mr Taylor then announced the results on stage and confirmed Mr Buckland as the new MP for South Swindon.

Robert Buckland: “The sun is coming up in South Swindon.

“I am honoured, humbled and deeply proud to stand here as your new member of parliament.

“This was a local campaign, run by local people and was won on the streets and in the homes and in the hearts and minds of this great constituency.

“I want to say thank you to the people of South Swindon for giving me this chance to serve.

“The people have spoken and they have put their trust in us, their message is clear – change has been wrung and Labour must go.

“Anne, you have served this constituency well and, on behalf of the constituents, may I thank you for your hard work”

Anne Snelgrove congratulated Robert on his win and said he hoped he would enjoy every minute of being South Swindon's member of parliament as she had done.

She said: “To my husband Mike, I'm coming home now – I will be there all week and I am looking forward to that.

“I am looking forward to spending more time with Mike who I have missed terribly when I have stayed in London.”

Afterwards she walked out of the hall arm in arm with her husband.