Amber Rudd remains Home Secretary in cabinet reshuffle

Hastings and Rye MP Amber Rudd has held on to her position as Home Secretary in the Prime Minister's cabinet reshuffle.
General election count at Horntye Park, Hastings.
Amber Rudd SUS-170906-061555001General election count at Horntye Park, Hastings.
Amber Rudd SUS-170906-061555001
General election count at Horntye Park, Hastings. Amber Rudd SUS-170906-061555001

The Conservative politician held on to her seat in Parliament by her fingernails on Friday morning, finishing just 346 votes ahead of Labour candidate and leader of Hastings Borough Council Peter Chowney.

Despite increasing their national share of the vote the Tories lost 13 seats, forcing PM Theresa May to form a minority Government backed by Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party.

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There were very few major changes in Mrs May’s cabinet reshuffle announced on Sunday afternoon, with Ms Rudd remaining Home Secretary.

Before the election she was being tipped as a potential replacement for Chancellor Philip Hammond, and is also being mentioned by pundits as a candidate to replace Mrs May as Prime Minister if she decides to step down.

Speaking after the result was announced, Ms Rudd said: “I want to thank the returning officer and all the fantastic counting agents who have done the job twice this evening. We’re all very grateful to you for staying so late and doing such a professional job. Thank you.

“I would also like to thank my team who have done such a fantastic job supporting me and working with me to make sure that we had a really good turnout on the day.

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“I would particularly like to thank the Labour candidate Peter Chowney who I know well and who I’m sure will continue his role as leader of the council. Thank you Peter for having a good, effective and fair fight.

“I’m deeply honoured to have been re-elected for the third time by residents of Hastings and Rye. This is a fantastic place to live and work and I am going to continue, I hope, to build on the great opportunities and great regeneration that’s been taking place in this area – improving our schools, improving our NHS and getting the infrastructure investment we need.

“This is what really matters to me and this is what I hope to continue to deliver for the fantastic constituency of Hastings and Rye.

“Thank you very much.”