General election 2010: Charles Clarke loses Norwich South
By Sabine Klensch
Former home secretary Charles Clark has narrowly lost his seat in Norwich South to the Lib Dem candidate Simon Wright.
Mr Clarke’s continuous complaints about Gordon Brown’s leadership are thought to have contributed to the loss in Labour votes.
He had held Norwich South since 1997.
A swing of 5.6% handed the seat to Mr Wright, with a majority over Labour’s Mr Clark of 310 votes.
Norwich South is an isolated Labour constituency surrounded by Tory seats, making it one of the few Labour strongholds until today.
The constituency has also undergone changes in boundaries, transferring the south-west portion to South Norfolk.
Politically the seat is known for switching allegiance between Labour and the Conservatives.
The result represents a key gain for the Lib Dem party on a national level.
