Former pensions minister and Conservative MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, Paul Maynard, has lost his seat to Labour’s Lorraine Beavers.
Maynard was previously the MP for Blackpool North and Cleveleys before the constituency merged with parts of two others to form Blackpool North and Fleetwood.
This new constituency includes 57.3 per cent from Blackpool North and Cleveleys where Conservatives had 57.6 per cent of the vote and Labour 35.5 per cent, 27.6 per cent from Lancaster and Fleetwood where Labour led with 46.8 per cent over Conservatives’ 41.6 per cent, and 15.1 per cent from Wyre and Preston North where Conservatives had 59.7 per cent and Labour 28.0 per cent.
Beavers, a Fleetwood local and previously elected Wyre councillor, secured 16,744 votes, while Maynard received 12,097 votes.
Maynard, who has been an MP since 2010, was appointed parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) in November 2023. He previously held various positions, including parliamentary under-secretary roles at the Department of Transport and the Ministry of Justice, and served as Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury.
Maynard was recently investigated by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) and found guilty of using his Ipsa-funded constituency office and equipment for non-parliamentary activities, resulting in his agreement to repay £1,367.28. The investigation began in January following referrals by the Ipsa CEO, based on claims from two Sunday Times articles.