European poll result declared in Brighton and Hove
The Labour Party topped the poll in the European parliamentary elections in Brighton and Hove, with the Greens coming second.
Fewer than 2,000 votes separated the two parties.
The Conservatives finished in third place, just over 1,400 votes ahead of the UK Independence Party (UKIP).
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “The turnout for Brighton and Hove was 38 per cent – 76,030 verified votes were received from an electorate of 200,433.”
The headline result was as follows
- Labour: 20,414
- Green 18, 586
- Con 15, 626
- UKIP 14, 205
- Lib Dem 4025
- Others 3174
The 39,000 votes for Labour and the Greens compares with 29,831 for the Conservatives and UKIP.
Across the wider constituency – South East England – UKIP triumphed. The eurosceptic party won four seats out of ten, with the Tories picking up three, and the Greens, Labour and the Lib Dems one seat each.
Last time, in 2009, UKIP won two seats. Party leader Nigel Farage was one of the two. But the other MEP, Marta Andreasen, defected to the Conservatives last year – and tonight she lost her seat.
The Tories also lost a second seat but the party ends one seat down on the result from 2009.
The Lib Dems also lost a seat, compared with the 2009 result. The Greens and Labour each held their single seat.
The ten MEPs elected for the next five years are
UKIP – Nigel Farage, Janice Atkinson, Diane James and former Portslade cable communications worker Ray Finch
Conservative – three of the party’s sitting MEPs Dan Hannan, Nirj Deva and Richard Ashworth
Green – former Brighton councillor and sitting MEP Keith Taylor
Labour – Anneliese Dodds
Liberal Democrat – sitting member Catherine Bearder, the party’s only remaining MEP
At the declaration in Southampton Mr Farage said: “The people’s army of UKIP have spoken tonight and delivered just about the most extraordinary result that’s been seen in British politics for 100 years.
“I’m proud to have led them to that. And in a way it’s surprising it didn’t happen before.
“The penny’s really dropped … Our people’s army will go from here.
“I promise you this, you haven’t heard the last of us.”
