Chris Pond

Within minutes of Labour officially securing a third election victory, minister Chris Pond lost his Gravesham seat.

Pond had a 4,862 majority in 2001 and his seat numbered only 82 on the Tory hit list.

However, a swing of 6.3 per cent saw Pond, a work and pensions minister, removed from power and Conservative candidate Adam Holloway elected in his place.

But having squeezed in with a majority of just 654, Holloway will have to work hard to retain his seat at the next election.

After failing in an initial attempt to enter parliament when standing in Welwyn Hatfield in the 1987 election, Pond met with more luck as Labour ousted the Tories in 1997.

Having seen his various works on tax and finance widely published, Pond's expertise soon saw him promoted to the post of PPS to Dawn Primarolo at the Treasury.

In 2003 he then became parliamentary under secretary of state at the Department for Work and Pensions, and will surely have been earmarked for further promotions before his surprising downfall.