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European elections 2019: Brexit Party dominates as Tories and Labour suffer European elections 2019: Brexit Party dominates as Tories and Labour suffer
(about 3 hours later)
The Brexit Party was the clear winner in the UK's European elections, with the pro-EU Lib Dems coming second. The Brexit Party was the clear winner in the UK's European elections, while the pro-EU Lib Dems came second.
The Conservatives and Labour suffered heavy losses, with the former expected to get less than 10% of the vote. The Conservatives and Labour suffered heavy losses, with the former getting less than 10% of the vote.
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said he was ready to "take on" the Tories and Labour in a general election. Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said he was ready to "take on" the main parties in a general election.
So far, Mr Farage's party has 29 seats, the Lib Dems 16, Labour 10, the Greens seven, the Tories four, the SNP three, and Plaid Cymru and the DUP one each. Mr Farage's party won 29 seats, the Lib Dems 16, Labour 10, the Greens seven, the Tories four, the SNP three, and Plaid Cymru and the DUP one each.
The elections came after Prime Minister Theresa May tried three times to secure MPs' backing for her Brexit plan and announced her resignation after her fourth attempt prompted a backlash.
Mr Farage told the BBC: "With a big, simple message - which is we've been badly let down by two parties who have broken their promises - we have topped the poll in a fairly dramatic style.Mr Farage told the BBC: "With a big, simple message - which is we've been badly let down by two parties who have broken their promises - we have topped the poll in a fairly dramatic style.
"The two party system now serves nothing but itself. I think they are an obstruction to the modernising of politics... and we are going to take them on." "The two-party system now serves nothing but itself. I think they are an obstruction to the modernising of politics... and we are going to take them on."
Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Vince Cable, said he was "pleasantly surprised" by his party's performance last night. The main points at a glance
He told BBC News: "It was fairly clear we had momentum and were doing well, but I was delighted by the scale of the popular vote and the seats we have won. Anti-Brexit parties - those in favour of another referendum - collectively took about 40% of the vote, compared with 35% for the Brexit Party and UKIP, both in favour of leaving the EU without a deal:
"The bigger picture is, if you take the Remain parties as a whole, we have had a very strong turnout, a very good result and we are now demonstrating that there is a majority of people in the country who don't want to leave the European Union now." Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said he was "pleasantly surprised" by his party's "very good result".
Polling expert Sir John Curtice said the results showed just how polarised the country had become. He added that there was "a majority of people in the country who don't want to leave the European Union now".
Prime Minister Theresa May tried three times to secure MPs' backing for her Brexit plan and resigned as prime minister after her fourth attempt prompted a big backlash. Polling expert Sir John Curtice said the results showed how polarised the country had become over Brexit.
She tweeted disappointment about the result for the Conservatives. Were these results an overwhelming cry for us to leave the EU whatever the cost? Or a sign, with some slightly convoluted arithmetic, that the country now wants another referendum to stop Brexit all together?
All 28 EU member states are electing MEPs to the European Parliament - the EU's law-making body. Overall, the big centre-right and centre-left blocs lost ground, amid a surge in support for liberals, Greens and nationalists. Guess what, the situation is not quite so black and white, whatever you will hear in the coming hours about the meaning of these numbers.
The UK had been due to leave the EU on 29 March, but when that deadline was missed, participation in the election became mandatory. The Brexit Party's success was significant and Nigel Farage's new group is the biggest single winner.
But the Lib Dems, Greens, Plaid and SNP - all parties advocating the opposite - were victors too.
Read more from Laura
Mrs May, who is due to step down as Conservative leader on 7 July, tweeted her response to her party's performance.
Across Europe, the big centre-right and centre-left blocs lost ground, amid a surge in support for liberals, Greens and nationalists.
The UK had been due to leave the EU on 29 March, but after that deadline was put back to 31 October, participation in the election became mandatory.
Region by region
The Brexit Party topped the polls in every region of England apart from London. It also dominated in Wales, with Plaid Cymru second.The Brexit Party topped the polls in every region of England apart from London. It also dominated in Wales, with Plaid Cymru second.
It has now become the joint largest national party in the European Parliament, alongside Germany's CDU/CSU party.It has now become the joint largest national party in the European Parliament, alongside Germany's CDU/CSU party.
In Scotland, the pro-Remain SNP won the biggest share of the vote, with just under 38%, giving it three MEPs.In Scotland, the pro-Remain SNP won the biggest share of the vote, with just under 38%, giving it three MEPs.
The Brexit Party came in second place with a significantly lower percentage - 14.8% - followed by the Lib Dems with 13.9% and the Tories with 11.6% - meaning each party has one seat.The Brexit Party came in second place with a significantly lower percentage - 14.8% - followed by the Lib Dems with 13.9% and the Tories with 11.6% - meaning each party has one seat.
But Labour only received 9.3% of the vote - a loss in vote share of 16.6% - leaving it with no MEPs in Scotland for the first time.But Labour only received 9.3% of the vote - a loss in vote share of 16.6% - leaving it with no MEPs in Scotland for the first time.
Meanwhile, the count in Northern Ireland's, which operates under a different system to the rest of the UK, is still under way. So far, the Democratic Unionist Party's Diane Dodds has been elected, with the winners of the two remaining seats yet to be announced. In Northern Ireland, the DUP (which supports leaving the EU), Sinn Fein (Remain), and the Alliance Party (Remain) all won a seat each.
The night at a glance
The Tory storyThe Tory story
Brexiteer and Conservative MEP for the South East Daniel Hannan - one of only three Tory MEPs elected - said it was his party's "worst ever result".Brexiteer and Conservative MEP for the South East Daniel Hannan - one of only three Tory MEPs elected - said it was his party's "worst ever result".
"We voted to leave (the EU) and we haven't left - it's that simple," he told the BBC."We voted to leave (the EU) and we haven't left - it's that simple," he told the BBC.
Tory leadership hopeful and former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the public had delivered "a crushing rebuke" to both major parties for failing to deliver Brexit.Tory leadership hopeful and former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the public had delivered "a crushing rebuke" to both major parties for failing to deliver Brexit.
Prominent Brexiteer and Tory backbencher Steve Baker said his party faced "obliteration" if they did not get on with leaving the EU as they had pledged.
He told BBC Breakfast: "It is a grave time for our party and country, [but] I am not surprised that [the result] is as bad as it is. You just can't break promises you have made like this and expect to go unpunished."
Labour's lossesLabour's losses
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing increasing pressure from senior members of his party to back another referendum on Brexit, with his own shadow chancellor saying it is the only way through the deadlock. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is facing increasing pressure from senior members of his party to back another referendum on Brexit, with shadow chancellor John McDonnell saying it is the only way through the deadlock.
John McDonnell said the country was now facing the prospect of a "Brexit extremist" becoming the next prime minister, meaning the UK faced the prospect of no deal. "If there can be a deal, great, but it needs to go back to the people," Mr McDonnell said.
"Of course we want a general election," he said. "But realistically, after last night, there aren't many Tory MPs who will vote for an election, it will be like turkeys voting for Christmas. "If it's a no-deal, we've got to block it and the one way of doing that is going back to the people and arguing the case against it because it could be catastrophic for our economy."
"If there can be a deal, great, but it needs to go back to the people. If it's a no-deal, we've got to block it and the one way of doing that is going back to the people and arguing the case against it because it could be catastrophic for our economy."
Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson said the party needed to "urgently" rethink its Brexit position after the "disastrous" election results, while Emily Thornberry told the BBC that the party should call for another vote and campaign to remain.
But the leader of the Unite Union, Len McCluskey, said Labour's attempt to "unite the nation" over Brexit was "an honourable objective that must not be abandoned".But the leader of the Unite Union, Len McCluskey, said Labour's attempt to "unite the nation" over Brexit was "an honourable objective that must not be abandoned".
He added: "This is the time to hold our nerve because the true prize is the very real possibility of a looming general election." And Mr Corbyn wrote to his MPs that it was "clear that the deadlock in Parliament can now only be broken by the issue going back to the people through a general election or a public vote. We are ready to support a public vote on any deal."
Mr Corbyn told the BBC: "What you have from me today is a commitment that our party is listening to its members and its supporters, and reaching out to parties across the House of Commons to prevent a crashing out... with no deal. Other parties
"A commitment that the future will of course be put to a public vote, as we have proposed in Parliament. Green Party co-leader Sian Berry said the case for a further referendum was stronger than ever, adding that it was "the way to draw a line under the Brexit chaos".
"Any final deal has to be put to a public vote and that we are prepared to do." Change UK, which also opposes Brexit, failed to win any seats in the election, but leader Heidi Allen told the BBC her party - newly formed from former Labour and Tory MPs - was "down, but we are not out".
Big gains for smaller parties Meanwhile, UKIP, which Mr Farage used to lead, lost all its MEPs, and saw a fall in its vote share of more than 20 points.
In contrast to the two biggest parties, some of the smaller ones with an unambiguous message on Brexit were rewarded.
Anti-Brexit parties - those in favour of another referendum - collectively took about 40% of the vote, compared with 35% for the two parties in favour of leaving the EU without a deal.
Green Party co-leader Sian Berry said the case for a further referendum was stronger than ever, adding: "Giving the people the final say over the country's direction is now clearly the only way forward, the way to draw a line under the Brexit chaos."
Change UK failed to win any seats in the election, but leader Heidi Allen told the BBC her party - newly formed from ex-Labour and Tory MPs - was "down, but we are not out".
Meanwhile, UKIP lost all its MEPs in the election, and saw a fall in its vote share of over 24%.
The party's former deputy leader, Mike Hookem - who lost his seat in Yorkshire and the Humber - blamed UKIP leader Gerard Batten for the result.The party's former deputy leader, Mike Hookem - who lost his seat in Yorkshire and the Humber - blamed UKIP leader Gerard Batten for the result.
He specifically highlighted Mr Batten's association with former EDL leader Tommy Robinson - real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - who also failed to win a seat in the North West Region. He highlighted Mr Batten's association with former EDL leader Tommy Robinson - real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - who also failed to win a seat in the North West Region, where he ran as an independent.
Were these results an overwhelming cry for us to leave the EU whatever the cost? Or a sign, with some slightly convoluted arithmetic, that the country now wants another referendum to stop Brexit all together?
Guess what, the situation is not quite so black and white, whatever you will hear in the coming hours about the meaning of these numbers.
The Brexit Party's success was significant and Nigel Farage's new group is the biggest single winner.
But the Lib Dems, Greens, Plaid and SNP - all parties advocating the opposite - were victors too.
Read more from Laura
The highest Brexit Party votes were recorded in Castle Point, in Essex, (59%), and Boston (56%) and South Holland (55%), both in Lincolnshire.
The best Lib Dem performances occurred in Gibraltar (77%), Richmond upon Thames (52%) and Kingston upon Thames (47%).
The best Green performances were in Brighton and Hove (36%), Bristol (35%) and Stroud (28%).
Turnout was just below 37%. That puts it on course to be the second highest in any European election - second only to 2004 when the turnout was partly inflated by the use of all-postal ballots in some parts of England.
Places that voted most strongly to Remain in the referendum saw turnout increase more compared with the last election in 2014 than places which voted most heavily for Leave.