Developing | Britain’s Ukip rides anti-EU wave to open up lead in European elections
Eurosceptic party set to make history by becoming the first non-mainstream party in over a century to win a British national election
The anti-EU mood in Europe swept Britain on Monday as the UK Independence Party (Ukip) appeared to be heading for victory in the European parliament elections.
Ukip leader Nigel Farage hailed the results as “the most extraordinary result in British politics for 100 years” as his party scored over 29 per cent of the vote after results from three-quarters of the regions were declared.
That score put UKIP 5 per cent ahead of the second-placed Conservatives of Prime Minister David Cameron.
Ukip had won 22 seats after nine of the 12 regions had declared – nine more seats than its total at the last European election in 2009.
The Conservatives had won 16 seats and the main opposition Labour Party 14 seats, with 23.5 per cent of the vote.
Farage retained his seat in southeast England, and promised further gains to come.
“This is just about the most extraordinary result in British politics for over 100 years,” he said.
“The penny has really dropped. We have hit very hard into the old Labour vote … we’re going to make a breakthrough in Scotland and our people’s army will go from here.
“I promise you this; you haven’t heard the last of us.”
With only a few results left to be counted, Ukip looked certain to gain its first MEP in Scotland.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) also looked set to fail in its bid to boost its share of the vote ahead of September’s referendum on whether Scotland will stay part of the UK.
If Ukip were to win, it would be the first time in over a century that a British national election has not been won by either of the mainstream Conservative or Labour parties.
The big losers were the pro-EU Liberal Democrats, coalition partners in the national government, who managed only one seat.
The Green Party won two seats and Plaid Cymru one but Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right British National Party, lost his seat in northwest England.
Farage said that the rise of anti-EU parties across the continent would shake up domestic politics.
“We’re going to get a good number of Eurosceptics elected to the European Parliament,” he said. “It’s going to make a very big difference in the domestic politics.
“Up until now, European integration ... always seemed to be inevitable and I think that inevitability will end with this result tonight.”