Labour claims massive scalp by unseating former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg

LONDON – Former Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has just lost his parliamentary seat.

Business Insider reported last month that Clegg and current Lib Dem leader Tim Farron were both at serious risk of losing their seats at the general election.

And on Thursday night, the prediction came to pass in Clegg’s Sheffield Hallam constituency, where Labour’s Jared O’Mara claimed a big scalp. The Lib Dems have held the seat since 1997.

Clegg managed 19,756 votes, while O’Mara secured 21,881. “You live by the sword, and you die by the sword,” Clegg said in a speech after the results were announced.

Labour sources told Business Insider in May that the party was confident of unseating former deputy prime minister Clegg, who has been the MP for Sheffield Hallam since 2005.

Labour insiders said many former Conservative voters, who backed Clegg in 2015 to make sure Labour didn’t win the seat, were not set to vote tactically this time around, paving the way for Labour to leapfrog the Lib Dems to victory.

Clegg, who was David Cameron’s deputy in the coalition government, has held Sheffield Hallam since 2005. But at the last election he won 40% of the vote, compared to 53.4% in 2010, significantly reducing his majority to just 2,353.

The former Lib Dem leader told colleagues last week that he was confident of holding the seat, a source close to Clegg told us earlier this week.

Follow Business Insider’s live General Election blog for the latest results and developments.