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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| European elections 2019: Brexit Party wins three seats in the East Midlands | European elections 2019: Brexit Party wins three seats in the East Midlands |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Brexit Party took the top honours in the East Midlands' European election with Annunziata Rees-Mogg, sister of Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, elected. | The Brexit Party took the top honours in the East Midlands' European election with Annunziata Rees-Mogg, sister of Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, elected. |
| The new party took three of the five available seats with the Liberal Democrats and Labour taking one each. | The new party took three of the five available seats with the Liberal Democrats and Labour taking one each. |
| The Conservatives and UKIP now have no MEPs in the region, having both lost the two seats they each won in 2014. | The Conservatives and UKIP now have no MEPs in the region, having both lost the two seats they each won in 2014. |
| Turnout was 34.7%, a slight increase from last time. | Turnout was 34.7%, a slight increase from last time. |
| The Brexit Party, led by former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, took 38.2% of the vote in a region which voted to leave in the EU referendum by 58.8%. | |
| The Liberal Democrats saw the largest share of the vote increase having lost all its MEPs at the last EU election. | The Liberal Democrats saw the largest share of the vote increase having lost all its MEPs at the last EU election. |
| UKIP and the Conservatives were the big losers on the night, dropping 28% and 15.3% of their share of the vote respectively. Labour's share dropped by 11% although it retained its single seat in the parliament. | UKIP and the Conservatives were the big losers on the night, dropping 28% and 15.3% of their share of the vote respectively. Labour's share dropped by 11% although it retained its single seat in the parliament. |
| Ms Rees-Mogg, who was unsuccessful representing the Conservatives at a general election, described the results as "quite astounding". | Ms Rees-Mogg, who was unsuccessful representing the Conservatives at a general election, described the results as "quite astounding". |
| "They have been far bigger percentages than I had anticipated, although while I was on the streets in areas as diverse as Boston, Mansfield, Skegness and Chesterfield, the people were telling us they wanted to be listened to," she said. | "They have been far bigger percentages than I had anticipated, although while I was on the streets in areas as diverse as Boston, Mansfield, Skegness and Chesterfield, the people were telling us they wanted to be listened to," she said. |
| Addressing how her brother will be feeling after a disappointing evening for the Conservatives, Ms Rees-Mogg said: "I have no doubt he will be devastated at what has been done to his own party, the Conservatives." | |
| 'Want to remain' | |
| Lib Dem Bill Newton Dunn, who returned to the European Parliament after losing his seat in 2014, claimed he was "the only person in the whole of Europe who has fought every single European election". | |
| "I think this is a turning point today. We've demonstrated across the country there's been a change in public opinion and now the British people are not so sure they want to repeat the referendum result, they want to remain." | |
| Labour's Rory Palmer said the election was set against a background of "unique, complex circumstances" and that people "didn't just vote on Brexit". | |
| "There's no getting away from it being... a very difficult night for Labour. Overall I'm very sorry to have heard of the loss of some good colleagues in other regions. | |
| "I think there's a number of reasons for that, but here in the East Midlands my priority will be for strong effective representation... for whatever amount of time." | |
| Conservative candidate Tony Harper said: "I would have liked to have seen us get at least one MEP through. | |
| "Nobody dreamt that we'd be taking part [in this election] so we had to play catch up." |