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BNP wins European Parliament seat Labour slumps to historic defeat
(about 3 hours later)
The BNP has gained its first MEP in what is shaping up to be an historic Labour defeat in the Euro elections. Labour has suffered its worst ever election result as it was beaten into third place by UKIP and saw the BNP gain its first seats at Brussels.
Health Secretary Andy Burnham said the BNP win was a "sad moment". The BNP candidate said it was the "first step to freedom" from EU "dictatorship". Labour's projected share of the vote at the European elections was just 15.7% - worse than party bosses had feared.
Labour could be on course to dip below 20% of the vote in what Harriet Harman has called a "very dismal" night. The Tories won with 27%, beating Labour in Wales but failing to significantly increase their overall share.
The party lost 12% of its vote in Wales, where they were beaten by the Tories for the first time since 1918. The results sent shockwaves through British politics and led to renewed calls for Gordon Brown to quit as PM.
The BNP won its first MEP, Andrew Brons, after gaining more than 120,000 votes in the Yorkshire and Humber region. The BNP gained a seat in Yorkshire and Humberside and in the North-West of England, where party leader Nick Griffin was elected - the first time the anti-immigration party has won seats at national elections.
With results starting to flow in, Labour looks on course to dip below 20% of the overall vote share - an historic low which will increase pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is facing calls to stand down. Their result was condemned across the political spectrum, with both the Tories and Labour calling it a "sad day" for British politics.
The Conservatives won easily in the East of England, although their share of the vote remained roughly the same as in 2004 - as did that of UKIP, which came second and the Lib Dems, who came third. But in his victory speech, Mr Griffin said: "The waters of truth and justice are once again flowing freely over this country. It is a great victory. We go on from here."
BNP wins European parliament seat With Labour staring at the worst result in its history, with results in the Western Isles of Scotland and Northern Ireland still to come, and the other Westminster parties effectively treading water on their 2004 results, it was left to the smaller parties to make gains.
But Labour's vote was down 6% as the Greens and the BNP both increased their share. UKIP 'achievement'
Labour won the most votes in the North-East of England in the first UK European election result - but its share of the vote was down 9% on 2004. Labour was beaten into fifth place behind the Greens in two English regions - the South-East and South-West, where its vote halved on 2004 and was the only region so far not to elect a Labour MEP.
The North East is regarded as one of Labour's strongest regions, although they have been under pressure in recent years from both the Tories and the Lib Dems. Daniel Hannan: "You can go by foot, you can go by cow, Gordon Brown, will you please go now"
Labour's Deputy Leader Harriet Harman told the BBC: "We are bracing ourselves for very dismal results, there is no doubt about that." UKIP Leader Nigel Farage said his party's performance in was a "hell of an achievement," as its chances were written off by some pundits ahead of the campaign.
He said it sent a clear signal to Gordon Brown: "If we have beaten him, he has got to go."
The Greens increased their share of the vote to 9% but leader Caroline Lucas blamed the electoral system for her party's failure to gain more than its current two MEPs.
We are advancing in all parts of the country William HagueConservatives Falconer urges leadership debate Brown defiant over leadership SNP on track for Euro poll first Tories top European poll in WalesWe are advancing in all parts of the country William HagueConservatives Falconer urges leadership debate Brown defiant over leadership SNP on track for Euro poll first Tories top European poll in Wales
But she sought to deflect attention from the prime minister, putting the blame for Labour's performance on the MPs' expenses which she said had hit the party hard. "Even though our share of the vote has gone up by about 50% our representation hasn't," she said.
"Our supporters are absolutely furious with us about expenses," she said. "They expect us to have higher standards than the Tories." Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan, whose YouTube attack on Gordon Brown became a worldwide hit - said Labour was enduring its worst poll performance since it became a national party in the 1920s.
'Unity call' "I am not sure people have a complete grasp of the magnitude of what is happening," he told BBC News.
But former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer repeated his call for a new leader to re-unify the party. Pressure on Brown
And he repeated Conservative calls for a general election, saying: "The only reason now for keeping Gordon Brown is fear of the electorate".
Labour group leader Glennis Willmott blamed Labour's disastrous showing on the Westminster expenses scandal, which she said was the "only thing people were talking about" on the doorstep".
But she called on the party to rally behind Mr Brown.
BNP wins European parliament seat
The results are likely to pile further pressure on Gordon Brown, who faces a crunch meeting of Labour MPs on Monday, which may decide his future.
Former Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer repeated his call for a new leader to re-unify the party.
"I think unity will only come with a leader that the mainstream votes for," he said."I think unity will only come with a leader that the mainstream votes for," he said.
Elsewhere, in the South East, with half the votes counted, Labour was trailing in fifth place behind the Greens, with UKIP in second place behind the Tories and the Lib Dems in third.
In Scotland, the Nationalists were outpolling Labour by a clear margin in the early results.In Scotland, the Nationalists were outpolling Labour by a clear margin in the early results.
The SNP looked certain to finish the night ahead of Labour in the popular vote - achieving the goal which SNP leader Alex Salmond had set his party.The SNP looked certain to finish the night ahead of Labour in the popular vote - achieving the goal which SNP leader Alex Salmond had set his party.
Overall, shadow foreign secretary William Hague expressed confidence that the Tories would top the national poll with around the same share of the vote as in 2004. The Brown leadership crisis may not produce a change of leader but it is already producing changes in policy. Nick Robinson class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/">Read more from Nick
"We are advancing in all parts of the country," he said. The turnout, with Scotland and Northern Ireland yet to declare, is heading for around a third of the vote.
In the English local elections held on Thursday the Conservatives got a projected 38% of the vote, the Lib Dems 28% and Labour 23%.In the English local elections held on Thursday the Conservatives got a projected 38% of the vote, the Lib Dems 28% and Labour 23%.
In the 2004 European elections the Conservatives won 26.7% of votes, Labour 22.6%, UKIP 16.1%, the Lib Dems 14.9%, the Greens 6.3% and the BNP 4.9%.