FARAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
Brexit Party storms to victory in EU elections smashing Tories and Labour in historic win for Nigel Farage
NIGEL Farage last night delivered a massive "wake-up call" to the Tories and Labour as he led the Brexit Party to a historic win in the European elections.
Millions of voters deserted the two main parties and flocked to Mr Farage in a bid to send the message: "Get Brexit done or die."
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The Brexit Party swept the board - winning every single region of Britain except heavily pro-Remain London and Scotland. It is now set to be the biggest party from ANY country in the European Parliament.
The Lib Dems came second in the nationwide poll with a strong showing for the Greens as Remainers opted for parties which back a second referendum.
On the night a political earthquake shook the Westminster establishment:
- Nigel Farage boasted he could win the next General Election
- Tory leadership contenders admitted their party could be destroyed by Brexit chaos
- The Conservatives recorded their worst ever performance in a national election
- Jeremy Corbyn faced fury from his own MPs over his Brexit fence-sitting - and came under pressure to quit
- Ukip and Change UK suffered a terrible night as neither party won a single seat
In a symbolic double blow both Mr Corbyn and Theresa May were beaten in their own back yards - the Lib Dems came top in the Labour leader's Islington seat while the Brexit Party won Maidenhead, where the PM lives.
With nearly all of the UK's councils having declared, Mr Farage's party was far ahead on 32 per cent with the Lib Dems second on 20 per cent.
Labour were languishing on 14 per cent with the Greens on 12 per cent and the Tories lagging on just 9 per cent - their worst result ever.
The Brexit Party won 29 of the country's 73 MEPs - and the Tories picked up just four seats.
The would-be next PM Jeremy Hunt warned the Tories would be wiped off the map if Brexit is kicked down the road again.
He tweeted last night: "We knew it was coming but still a painful result. Existential risk to our party unless we now come together and get Brexit done.";
The Conservatives failed to win a single seat in multiple regions including London, the East and West Midlands, the South West and Yorkshire.
Big win for the Brexit Party... terrible night for the Conservatives
Nigel Farage
Labour also performed poorly in key areas, coming fifth in London and third in Wales behind Plaid Cymru.
Mr Farage said: "A big win for the Brexit Party, that's very clear. A terrible night for the Conservative party.
"Look at what the Brexit Party has done to Labour. This is a big message. A big wake-up call to Westminster. Will they listen?
"We've got a mandate now, we demand to be part of that negotiating team to get this country ready to leave whatever the circumstances. We've got to get on with this."
In his victory speech he added: "Never before in British politics has a new party launched just six weeks ago topped the polls in a national election.
"If we don't leave on October 31 then the scores you have seen for the Brexit Party today will be repeated in a General Election, and we are getting ready for it."
Brexit Party chair Richard Tice boasted: "People have backed us and the Labour vote is haemorrhaging. The reason it collapsed is because they haven't listened to their heartland voter, but listened to the mood in Islington instead."
And Ann Widdecombe added: "Tonight we have got a very clear instruction from the British people that they are reaffirming the 2016 vote - they want a Brexit and the only people who are going to give it are the Brexit Party."
The strong showing for Mr Farage's No Deal agenda and the hardline pro-Remain parties suggests Britain is more divided over Brexit than ever with the Tories and Labour suffering from having a fudged message.
TORY WIPEOUT
Veteran Tory MEP Dan Hannan admitted: "This is the worst result my party has suffered in its 185-year history."
Jeremy Corbyn appeared to suggest he would now back a second referendum on Brexit, saying: "After three years of Tory failure to deliver a Brexit that works for the whole country, these elections became a proxy second referendum.
"With the Conservatives disintegrating and unable to govern, and Parliament deadlocked, this issue will have to go back to the people, whether through a General Election or a public vote."
Despite voting to leave more than three years ago, Britain was forced to take part in the polls and elect a whole new raft of MEPs in 12 regions.
Brits have picked 73 MEPs to seat in the 750-strong European Parliament. But it's not clear how long the new MEPs will actually serve in Brussels - because they're scheduled to leave as soon as Britain quits the EU, which is meant to happen on October 31.
Results across the country in full after Brexit Party victory
East of England (7 MEPs)
Brexit Party 38%, Lib Dems 23%, Greens 13%, Tories 10%, Labour 9%, Change UK 4%, Ukip 3%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Lib Dems 2, Greens 1, Tories 1
East Midlands (5 MEPs)
Brexit Party 38%, Lib Dems 17%, Labour 14%, Tories 11%, Greens 11%, Ukip 5%, Change UK 4%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Lib Dems 1, Labour 1
London (8 MEPs)
Lib Dems 27%, Labour 24, Brexit Party 18%, Greens 12%, Tories 8%, Change UK 5%, Ukip 2%
Lib Dems 3 MEPs, Labour 2, Brexit Party 2, Greens 1
North East (3 MEPs)
Brexit Party 39%, Labour 19%, Lib Dems 17%, Greens 8%, Tories 7%, Ukip 6%, Change UK 4%
Brexit Party 2 MEPs, Labour 1
North West (8 MEPs)
Brexit Party 31%, Labour 22%, Lib Dems 17%, Greens 13%, Tories 8%, Ukip 4%, Change UK 3%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Labour 2, Lib Dems 2, Greens 1
South East (10 MEPs)
Brexit Party 36%, Lib Dems 26%, Greens 14%, Tories 10%, Labour 7%, Change UK 4%, Ukip 2%
Brexit Party 4 MEPs, Lib Dems 3, Greens 1, Tories 1, Labour 1
South West (6 MEPs)
Brexit Party 37%, Lib Dems 23%, Greens 18%, Tories 9%, Labour 7% Ukip 3%, Change UK 3%
Brexit Party 3, Lib Dems 2, Greens 1
West Midlands (7 MEPs)
Brexit Party 38%, Labour 17%, Lib Dems 16%, Greens 11%, Tories 10%, Ukip 5%, Change UK 3%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Labour 1, Lib Dems 1, Greens 1, Tories 1
Yorkshire & Humber (6 MEPs)
Brexit Party 37%, Labour 16%, Lib Dems 16%, Greens 13%, Tories 7%, Ukip 4%, Yorkshire Party 4%, Change UK 2%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Labour 1, Lib Dems 1, Greens 1
Wales (4 MEPs)
Brexit Party 33%, Plaid Cymru 20%, Labour 15%, Lib Dems 14%, Tories 7%, Greens 6%, Ukip 3%
Brexit Party 2 MEPs, Plaid Cymru 1, Labour 1
Scotland (6 MEPs)
[Official results declared 11am, but nearly all votes are already counted]
SNP 38%, Brexit Party 15%, Lib Dems 14%, Tories 12%, Scottish Labour 9%, Greens 8%
SNP 3 MEPs, Brexit Party 1, Lib Dems 1, Tories 1 (Predicted)
Northern Ireland (3 MEPs)
Full results expected Tuesday afternoon
Nigel Farage arrives at Southampton European election count and says he’s ‘feeling confident’
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Win-ecombe is now an MEP
LIFELONG Conservative Ann Widdecombe has become an MEP for the Brexit Party.
The ex-Tory minister switched sides because she felt betrayed by her party over Europe.
The 71-year-old said after her win in the South West: “Tonight reaffirms the vote in 2016 because there was only one reason for voting for the Brexit party and that was if you wanted a Brexit.”
“When we go to Brussels . . . we will say we so clearly speak for the people that we want a role in the negotiation.”
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As well as the Brexit Party, the big winners of the night were the Lib Dems who went from having just one seat to 16, and the Greens who picked up seven MEPs.
Lib Dem boss Vince Cable said: "We have shown ourselves to be the strongest Remain force in British politics.
“We will always stand up for the people who have put their faith in us, taking this mandate forward to campaign harder than ever to stop Brexit."
It was a bad night for Change UK, the new pro-EU party formed by MPs who quit the Tories and Labour earlier this year, as they failed to win a single seat.
And Ukip - which came top in the 2014 Euro election - lost every one of their 24 MEPs in a total wipeout after their ex-leader Mr Farage muscled in on their territory.
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson stood as an independent candidate in the North West - but failed to get elected.
CENTRE COLLAPSES
Across Europe as a whole, the main centre-right and centre-left parties suffered with populist and green parties surging at their expense.
The ultra-fragmented European Parliament will find it harder to agree on a new European Commission boss to replace retiring Jean-Claude Juncker.
In France, far-right leader Marine Le Pen hailed a "victory for the French people" as her party was forecast to top the vote.
The 50-year-old poured scorn on President Emmanuel Macron, 41, as early estimates put her National Rally on just over 24 per cent of the popular vote.
Mr Macron’s pro-EU En Marche is forecast to come in second with 22.4 percent.
EU Elections 2019: Final results of the European Parliament elections saw the new Brexit Party dominate the elections
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In a celebratory speech, Ms Le Pen said: “It is the President and his policies that are rejected.”
She added: “The French people have made their voice heard with unexpected force. This is immensely satisfying for all of those who have never ceased to believe in France.”
Sources close to Mr Macron meanwhile said that he was “satisfied with a result that was not unexpected.”
The Sun Says
THE Tories and Labour knew the European results were going to be painful. But the results overnight were a disaster for both.
The Conservatives have been battered. But Labour didn’t administer that kicking — instead they lost votes everywhere from Britain’s industrial heartlands to North London’s organic groceries.
The message is clear: A plague on all your houses. And the lessons the parties should learn are equally obvious.
For the Tories, it is that they have no God-given right to power. And their failure to deliver Brexit could be their death knell unless they get on the right track, sharpish.
The leadership battle is already doing them serious damage as it turns all too quickly into a circular firing squad.
We’ve got nothing against bright youngsters like Rory Stewart taking a punt at the premiership, but having a pop at colleagues on day one won’t help rebuild the party’s battered reputation.
But that’s nothing compared to the current Chancellor threatening to bring down the Government if a new leader pushes for a clean-break Brexit, even if his party’s MPs and members vote for exactly that.
If Hammond hasn’t clocked that failing to deliver the referendum result isn’t endearing the party to voters, these European results are a blunt reminder.
Everybody who fancies the top job needs to explain, in detail, their Brexit plan. And if they win, the party MUST deliver it. No ifs, no buts.
Winning back Brexit Party voters is vital, but so is moving on from the referendum and pushing forward with a revitalised domestic programme.
As for Labour? All that game-playing in Westminster hasn’t done them much good.
But they still haven’t learnt.
Emily Thornberry’s reaction to the Brexit Party’s streaking triumph around the country was to come out in favour of a second referendum.
Working people have abandoned this prehistoric party and their dinosaur leader in droves.
The European elections should never have happened. We should be out of the EU by now.
For the Government, time could not be more pressing. A new leader can restore some faith in our politics, and take on Corbyn’s Marxists.
The Tories need a quick contest, and a leader with a proper mandate. Anything else risks annihilation.
Thousands of Romanians queue at tiny polling station to vote in European Elections across the country
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Brexit Party's Farage arrives at the polls to vote in the European Elections
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