What happens when MPs lose their seat?

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Split screen of Jo Swinson, Dominic Grieve and Nigel DoddImage source, Getty Images

One week you're on your lunch break in the Houses of Parliament canteen and the next you're jobless.

As of Friday, that will be the case for 47 MPs across the UK.

Those that have lost their seat include Jo Swinson, now the former Leader of the Lib Dems. She lost her East Dunbartonshire seat to an SNP candidate by 149 votes.

Dominic Grieve, an Independent, will be packing up his office after losing his Beaconsfield seat to the Tories.

And DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodd was defeated by Sinn Fein's John Finucane.

So what happens next?

Well, firstly, their Houses of Parliament security pass will deactivate at 23:59 on 19 December. This means they won't be able to get into Parliament any more.

They've got five days to pack up their offices, say their goodbyes and head out of Westminster.

Jubilee line, anyone?

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg lost his seat in the 2017 election

Will they be paid?

They're given a sum of money called the Winding Up budget.

It helps former MPs pay for expenses once their salaries have stopped and covers costs until February 2020.

If they've been an MP for two years or more, they are also entitled to a Loss of Office Payment - which is twice the amount of money they get when they're made redundant - depending on their age and length of service.

... And their staff?

The staff of any MP who has lost their seat will be made redundant.

Researchers, campaign officers and assistants will be out of a job after Friday's results.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith lost his Richmond Park and North Kingston seat in this year's election

Nic Trower knows this feeling too well. He worked as an assistant for Stephen Williams, a former Lib Dem MP who lost his seat to a Labour candidate in 2015.

He was made redundant immediately.

"It's a massive shock. You go to the office, clean up everything and that's it, you're done."

He tells Radio 1 Newsbeat it's emotional watching an MP that you're friendly with lose their job and their whole career.

"Staff this year will be cleaning up their stuff just before Christmas and coming back after Christmas without a job."

MPs who've kept their seat are expected return to Parliament on 17 December.

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