Brighton MP Caroline Lucas confident of Green Euro gains

Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas said she is hopeful the Green party will make gains when the European election results are announced on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of people across Sussex went to the polls yesterday (Thursday May 22) to vote in the European Parliament elections.

With Ukip set to top the national poll, it is likely to make gains from the one out of ten seats it currently has in the south east region.

Speaking to the BBC, Dr Lucas said she was hopeful the Greens could would make gains – potentially with a second seat in the south east while increasing it’s national number from two MEPs to “five or six”.

When asked by BBC presenter David Dimbleby if the “unpopularity” of the Green council in Brighton and Hove would affect her own re-election campaign ahead of next year’s general election, Dr Lucas said: “I don’t think any council is particularly popular given the outsourced cuts from the government, which is seeing 20% of funding taken away from local government.

“But in Brighton, the Green council has one of best living wage situations in the country, we’ve done some really exciting things with cycle lanes and some really positive things with open spaces.”

Elsewhere, Ukip leader and south east MEP Nigel Farage was spotted pulling himself a pint after his party made the biggest gains across the country in the local elections.

Rumours he could stand in a Sussex constituency at next year’s general election also gained momentum as he ruled out standing in Essex, where his party made big gains locally.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Farage said he would be definitely standing, adding it would “definitely be south of the river (Thames)”.