UKIP look set to come first in the European Elections following a series of encouraging results in the British regions that have already declared. The anti-EU party have so far finished first in the West Midlands, South West, South East, Yorkshire & Humberside, East Midlands and Eastern England. In North East England, they also jumped from fourth place in 2009 to second this time.
They are also projected to win an MEP in Scotland, although that result is understood to still be very tight.
At the time of writing, UKIP currently have 18 MEPs, Labour and the Conservatives 13 each, and the Greens one.
One of the biggest surprises of the evening has been the fight for second place, which is currently very tight between the Conservatives and Labour. Most polls had put Labour in a comfortable second, with some early ones even putting them in first place.
The Liberal Democrats have suffered an evening of humiliation, losing all but one of their seats so far, with London being their only realistic hope for retaining another MEP. In many regions they have finished in fifth place behind the Greens, who already have two MEPs.
Speaking after the result for the South East was announced, UKIP leader Nigel Farage called tonight “the most extraordinary event in British politics for 100 years.”
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