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| Dismayed - Melanie Onn after the result had been announced |
DON'T rule out a political comeback for Great Grimsby's fallen Labour MP, Melanie Onn!
Ms Onn, married with one son, was an unknown quantity when she followed in the footsteps of Austin Mitchell, becoming the constituency's first female MP - an achievement for which she is justifiably proud.
Unlike her Conservative successor, Lia Nici, and her Cleethorpes parliamentary counterpart, Martin Vickers, she had not cut her teeth in local politics.
But she learned quickly and, in the Westminster corridors of power, became a sprightly and passionate advocate for the constituency.
In the wake of Labour's disastrous showing in the General Election, she - along with many other erstwhile Labour MPs - can count herself unlucky.
Her party's unconvincing leadership on a range of issues, notably Brexit, where her party tied itself in knots, and electors' apparent distaste for Jeremy Corbyn left her vulnerable.
To an extent Ms Onn may also have paid for her principles.
A strong believer that the prospects for Grimsby and the country would be best saved if we remained part of the EU, her stance put her out of kilter with the prevailing mood of the vast majority of her constituents.
And that resulted in her ousting from office soon after 4am on Friday when the poll result was announced.
Ms Onn smiled bravely and conceded graciously, but she was clearly devastated.
What next?
Her enthusiasm for politics, though dimmed by her ballot box defeat, still shines.
Still young - she is 40 - and popular with members of her constituency party association, there is an excellent chance that she will be reselected as parliamentary candidate next time round.
Who knows, in the meantime, she might even seek election to North East Lincolnshire Council in May next year.
And we all know about the inevitable swing of the political pendulum.
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| Media interviews are so tough when you've just been defeated |
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