This firsthand account from an MP about what it’s like to lose his seat is properly fascinating

“Interesting thread on what the night to discover you’ve lost your seat is really like” writes journalist @Jamesrbuk.

So, today is the second anniversary of the 2015 general election. Good times… (1/23)

At 10.00 pm that night, utterly knackered, emotionally and physically, I waited nervously to see the BBC exit poll. (2/23)

Carolyn and I were only interested in the Scottish seats – SNP were predicted to win 58 out of 59 seats. (3/23)

The polls had been right. It was over for Scottish Labour at W’minster. And for me. “Oh flip!” we said. Except we didn’t say “flip”. (4/23)

Half an hour later, my staffer, Donald, phoned with the result of the early ballot samples. I was trailing by 10,000. (5/23)

And suddenly, amazingly, all the stress I’d been coping with the last six months evaporated. I knew without doubt I had lost. Okay. (6/23)

“I’m coming over to the count,” I told Donald. “You can’t,” he replied. “The party doesn’t want MPs there until we know the results.” (7/23)

But my wonderful party campaign volunteers were there now, surrounded by triumphant Nats, with no candidates around to support them. (8/23)

“Flip that,” I said (I didn’t say “flip”). “What are they going to do to me – fire me?” So I got changed and headed over. (9/23)

It was liberating to be there, in the thick of it, owning my defeat and thanking my supporters. (10/23)

And because I was the only (ex-) MP in the place, the media were keen to talk to me. “So, Tom Harris, why do you think you lost?” (11/23)

I got fed up with the same question so eventually I answered “Not enough votes mainly.” Which ran on the BBC ticker tape for a while (12/23)

When the result in Glasgow South was finally confirmed, the candidates headed up t the stage for the announcement. (13/23)

For the first time ever, the Returning Officer had decided that no runners-up would be allowed to make a speech. (14/23)

So after 14 years’ service as a Glasgow MP, I was denied my chance to say goodbye formally. A bit mean, I thought. (15/23)

Fortunately, my nemesis, @Stewart McDonald, was typically kind and generous to me in his own victory speech. (16/23)

There was another sting-in-the-tail before we left the arena. Some excitable SNP workers were speaking (deliberately) loudly… (17/23)

… saying “What about the [Labour] MPs’ staff? Do they lose their jobs too? Brilliant!” That’s politics, i suppose. (18/23)

Back home, Carolyn had stayed awake – I had asked her not come to the count with me, the first time she hadn’t done so. (19/23)

We had tried to prepare the boys for what might happen, and next morning, we kept them off school to break the news. (20/23)

They were upset, but took it well, especially when we assured them I would get a new job soon. Turns out they were most worried… (21/23)

… about no longer being invited to the annual preview of the Doctor Who Christmas special in London. Yeah, we would, I told them. (22/23)

It was a remarkable, unique experience. Character-building, you might say. I don’t regret having gone through it, but never again! (23/23)

Source: Twitter/@MrTCHarris