The Brexit Party to win European elections in UK as Conservative party collapses to fifth place

Reuters

Nigel Farage

• Nigel Farage's Brexit Party on course to win the most seats and largest vote share in the European elections in the United Kingdom.
• The anti-EU party is projected to win a total of 29 seats, five more than UKIP's winning tally in 2014.
• The Pro-Remain Liberal Democrats come a strong second place, beating the Labour party.
• Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn signals a possible shift to more explicitly backing a second referendum.
• Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.

LONDON - The Brexit Party is set to win the most seats in the European Parliament elections in the United Kingdom after support for the governing Conservative party collapsed.

After all votes were counted in England and Wales, Nigel Farage's Brexit Party was projected to have won 29 seats across the UK and 32% of the vote, with the Conservatives achieving their worst ever national election result, slipping into fifth place.

Meanwhile, the pro-EU Liberal Democrats won their best result in their history, coming in second place ahead of Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party.

Results in Northern Ireland and Scotland are due later on Monday.

European elections projected seats (UK)

• Brexit Party: 29 (+29)
• Lib Dems: 16 (+15)
• Labour: 10 (-10)
• Green: 7 (+4)
• Conservatives: 4 (-15)
• SNP: 3 (+1)
• UKIP: 0 (-24)

*BBC projected seat tally as of 01.00 AM (BST)

European elections projected vote share (UK)

• Brexit Party: 32% (+32%)
• Lib Dems: 20% (+13%)
• Labour: 14% (-11%)
• Green: 12% (+4%)
• Conservatives: 9% (-15%)
• SNP: 4% (+2%)
• UKIP: 3% (-24%)
• Change UK: 3%

*BBC projected seat share as of 01.00 AM (BST)

Speaking after winning his seat in the South East region, Farage warned that his party would win the next general election unless Brexit takes place on Halloween as currently scheduled.

"If we don't leave on October 31, the scores you've seen tonight will be repeated in a general election and we are getting ready for that," Farage in the early hours of Monday morning.

"There's a massive message here. The Labour and Conservative Parties could learn a lesson [but] I don't think they will."

The Conservative vote collapsed across the country, with the party coming in third place in Theresa May's home town of Maidenhead and in fourth place in Conservative leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson's Uxbridge seat.

The results were greeted by Conservative Brexiteers as a sign that the party should be prepared leave the European Union without a deal at the end of October.

"This is a political tsunami. The Brexit Party have absolutely romped it," Conservative MP Mark Francois told the BBC.

The Labour Party also lost ground to smaller parties in both Remain and Leave-voting parts of the country. In their London stronghold, the party came second behind the Lib Dems, including in Corbyn's own Islington constituency.

Following the results, the Labour leader signaled a possible shift towards backing a new EU 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," he said, adding that "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."

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