All change in British parliament after election upsets

Britain’s new parliament will look very different from the outgoing one, with a host of new faces including the surge of 56 representatives from the pro-independence Scottish National Party.

High-profile lawmakers from Labour and the Liberal Democrats — the biggest losers of the election won by the Conservatives — are also on their way out.

Here are some of the most significant changes:

Newcomers:
– Mhairi Black, Scottish National Party

Britain’s youngest MP since 1667, the 20-year-old Glasgow University politics student is the embodiment of an unprecedented nationalist surge in Scotland.

The no-nonsense blonde won with a majority of over 5,000 in Thursday’s election to topple Douglas Alexander, the Labour Party’s 47-year-old foreign affairs spokesman and campaign chief.

– Boris Johnson, Conservative Party

The ebullient mayor of London, 50-year-old Johnson was elected to the safe seat Conservative of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in west London and is seen as a potential future prime minister one day.

Known for his ruffled hair, his genuine star power marks him out in the Conservative Party. He became one of Britain’s most popular politicians by cultivating an image of a jolly, bumbling toff.

– Naz Shah, Labour Party

Shah, a 41-year-old disability rights campaigner who beat out her colourful left-wing rival nicknamed “Gorgeous George” Galloway in Bradford West, has an incredible life story of her own.

She was brought up in poverty, taken to Pakistan to escape domestic abuse and then forcibly married.

Shah’s mother ended up killing her abusive partner and going to jail after long suffering in silence.

Outgoing:
– Ed Balls, Labour Party

The most shocking result of the night saw party heavyweight Balls, 48, lose his Morley and Outwood seat to the Tories by 422 seats.

A veteran of the governments of former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, Balls has served as shadow chancellor for four years, and was expected to become finance minister had Labour won power.

– Jim Murphy, Labour Party

The head of the Scottish Labour Party, the 47-year-old Murphy was one of the biggest victories for the nationalists on a night of stunning upsets.

Murphy conducted a street campaign against independence ahead of the referendum on September 18 in which the “No” vote won by 55 percent to 45 percent in favour of breaking away.

– Vince Cable, Liberal Democrats

A former deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats and business secretary in the outgoing cabinet, Cable looked visibly shaken as the result was announced.

The 71-year-old’s defeat may well spell the end of his political career.

– Danny Alexander, Liberal Democrats

A Treasury secretary in Cameron’s government, the 42-year-old Alexander also lost to a Scottish Nationalist Party candidate in one of the biggest upsets north of the border.

– Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrat rout claimed the 32-year Commons career of Hughes, 63, one of the party’s most senior figures, as he lost his Bermondsey and Old Southwark seat to Labour.

Confirmed:
– David Cameron, Conservative Party

The prime minister was expected to comfortably hold onto his Witney seat, but defied pre-election expectations to keep hold of the top job at a canter.

As a bonus, 48-year-old Cameron saw his UKIP nemesis Nigel Farage fail in his bid to become an MP, relieving a source of pressure on the right wing of his party.

– Nick Clegg, Liberal Democrats

Despite having his majority slashed, the Liberal Democrat party leader, 48, managed to cling onto his Sheffield seat.

But that’s where the good news ended for Clegg, who was expected to resign after his party was reduced to rubble across Britain.

– Ed Miliband, Labour Party

Like Clegg, 45-year-old Miliband retained his seat but was expected to step down from his role as party leader after its cataclasmic performance.

– Douglas Carswell, UK Independence Party

The former Conservative MP will be UKIP’s only presence in the Commons after party leader Farage failed in his bid to become an MP.

The 44-year-old is now odds on to take over the helm with Farage expected to resign following his defeat.