Unseating

Unseating is a political term which refers to a legislator who loses their seat in an election. A legislator who is unseated loses the right to sit in a legislative chamber. A landslide victory results in many legislators being unseated.

Australia

In the 2025 Australian federal election, Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton lost his electorate of Dickson, the first time an opposition leader had been defeated in their own seat. Several days later, Greens leader Adam Bandt lost his seat of Melbourne.

Canada

• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2011 Canadian federal election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2015 Canadian federal election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2019 Canadian federal election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2021 Canadian federal election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2025 Canadian federal election

In the 2025 Canadian federal election, Two sitting party leaders failed to win re-election to their parliamentary seats: Pierre Poilievre of the Conservative Party and Jagmeet Singh of the New Democratic Party (NDP).

France

• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2017 French legislative election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2022 French legislative election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2024 French legislative election

Germany

• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2021 German federal election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2025 German federal election

New Zealand

The only Prime Minister to lose their seat at an election was Sir Robert Stout in 1887.^[1] At the 1893 and 1919 elections the Leader of the Opposition (William Rolleston and Sir Joseph Ward respectively) was defeated.^[2][3]

Russia

• List of members of the 7th Russian State Duma who were not re-elected

United Kingdom

Unseating influential Members of Parliament is a goal of opposition parties. MPs representing marginal constituencies are usually at higher risk of being unseated.

At the 1918 election following the First World War, former Prime Minister, the Liberal leader and leader of the opposition H. H. Asquith lost a seat he had held since 1886. A biographer said of this "the blow was crippling, a personal humiliation which destroyed his hope of exercising any influence on the peace settlement."^[4]

Chris Patten, Chairman of the Conservative Party and Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Fein were unseated in 1992. Michael Portillo, widely expected to be the next Conservative leader, lost his seat at the 1997 general election, an event which coined the expression "Portillo moment".^[5] At the 2015 general election, Ed Balls and Simon Hughes were unseated in political upsets.^[6] In 2019, the Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson, was unseated by the Scottish National Party.^[7] At the 2024 general election, former Prime Minister Liz Truss, record number of Conservative MPs and cabinet members lost their seats.^[8]

Lists

• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 1997 United Kingdom general election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2010 United Kingdom general election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2015 United Kingdom general election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2017 United Kingdom general election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2019 United Kingdom general election
• List of MPs who lost their seat in the 2024 United Kingdom general election

United States

When an incumbent Member of Congress runs for re-election they may be unseated in the general election. This is more likely if the politician represents a swing state or swing district.

• Unseated members of the United States Congress

See also

• Parliament