Humiliation for Tories as Farage storms EU poll
Brexit Party surges across the country Worst-ever result for Conservatives Lib Dems gain as Britain is polarised
THE Conservatives have been decimated in the European elections and recorded their worst result in history as Nigel Farage’s six-week-old Brexit Party triumphed.
The European elections, which were never supposed to happen, proved disastrous for both the Tories and Labour as the vote polarised between parties backing hard Brexit and Remain.
Mr Farage’s Brexit Party came first and the Liberal Democrats second, with Labour last night on course to finish third, the Greens fourth and the Tories fifth.
The success of the Brexit Party will ignite the Tory leadership race and is likely to bolster the case of Eurosceptic candidates pushing for Britain to leave with or without a deal on October 31.
Boris Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary, today warns that the Tories will see the “permanent haemorrhage” of support if they fail to deliver Brexit, as he warns that the party must listen to the “millions that voted for change”.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the former foreign secretary says the To- ries have endured a “rout” at the hands of the Brexit Party in the European elections for having “flagrantly failed” to deliver on the referendum result.
For Labour, the result had the opposite effect as Jeremy Corbyn faced a shadow cabinet revolt amid calls for the party to demand a second referen- dum.
Last night Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, led calls for the party to show “clarity” by pledging to offer a second referendum.
Of the early results the Brexit Party won in the North East, West Midlands, East Midlands, South West, Wales and East of England, securing over half of the vote in parts of the country. In the North East region, the first to declare, the Brexit Party secured 39 per cent of the vote, while the Tories finished fifth with just 7 per cent of the vote. Labour collapsed and secured just 19 per cent of the vote.
The Brexit divide was most evident in the East of England, where the Brexit Party won with 38 per cent of the vote while the Liberal Democrats won the second biggest vote share with 23 per cent of the vote, with the Greens third. The Tories were fourth with 10 per cent of the vote, while Labour won just 9 per cent.
In Wales, where Labour has only lost one election since 1918, the party finished third behind the Brexit Party and Plaid Cymru. In London the Liberal Democrats won with 27 per cent of the vote.
Prof John Curtice, the polling expert, said that the electorate has “polarised” and warned that the Brexit Party would pose a significant threat to the Tories if a General Election was called.
He told the BBC: “Our two largest – and I now use those words in quotation marks – our ‘two largest parties’, Conservative and Labour ... have ended up being deserted by voters” Mr Farage told The Telegraph that his party must have a place at the negotiating table with Brussels. He said that he is open to forming an electoral pact with whoever becomes the next Tory leader.
He said: “We absolutely demand that we become part of the negotiating team. We’re going to be in Brussels anyway to get us ready ot leave on October 31st.
“The Tory Party looks more divided than ever. I don’t think just a new leader is going to solve their problem but I am open to talking to any leadership candidates who are serious about leaving on October 31st.
“We are in this for the long haul and we have got to win. British politics is broken, it is rotten to the core.”
Speaking after he was re-elected to the European Parliament, Mr Farage added: “If we don’t leave on October 31 the scores we have seen for the Brexit Party today will be repeated in a General Election.”
Mr Johnson, in his first major intervention in the Tory leadership contest, said he has proved he has a “relentless” track record on delivering on his promises He said: “The absolute pre-requisite is to get Brexit right. We can and must deliver.
“No one sensible would aim exclusively for a no deal outcome.
“No one responsible would take no deal off the table. If we are courageous, and optimistic, we can strike a good bargain with our friends across the Channel, come out well and on time – by October 31 – and start delivering on all the hopes and ambitions of the people.”
Labour even lost to the Liberal Democrats in Islington, Jeremy Corbyn’s
own back yard. Ms Thornberry said: “We needed to be clearer and sharper and make it unequivocal about where we are going.
“The referendum result spoke to me an essential truth: Yes we leave the EU, but we need to look after jobs and the economy. That is what we have been trying to deliver against an intransigent prime minister.”
Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s former press secretary and a prominent Remainer, revealed that he had voted for the Liberal Democrats for the first time of his life.
Mr Corbyn said: “Over the coming days we will have conversations across our party and movement, and reflect on these results on both sides of the Brexit divide.”
Mr Corbyn last night indicated that Labour could change its policy. He said: “This issue will have to go back to the people, whether in a general election or a public vote.”
Despite the result Remain Tories yesterday warned that they will attempt
‘We will have conversations across our party and movement. This issue will have to go back to the people’
to remove any Tory Prime Minister who attempts to take Britain out of the EU without a deal.
Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, warned the next Prime Minister “will not survive” if they attempt to take Britain out of the European Union without a deal.
He refused to rule out supporting a no-confidence motion in the Government, potentially triggering a General Election, if the next Tory leader tries to leave the EU without a deal on October 31.
Mr Johnson, Dominic Raab, Andrea Leadsom, and Esther Mcvey have said they would be prepared to quit with no deal on October 31 if necessary.
Mr Hammond told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show: “I think it would be very difficult for a prime minister who adopted no deal as a policy - ‘we are leaving with no deal as a matter of policy’ – to retain the confidence of the House of Commons.”
It came as Eurosceptic parties across the Continent enjoyed their best ever results, winning a total of 169 seats in the European Parliament, according to the preliminary results and exit polls.
In France President Macron party looked headed for defeat to Marie Le Pen’s Eurosceptic National Rally party.