In Britain the Conservatives were the big winners, polling 36% of the votes and gaining 36 seats in the European Parliament. The Labour vote dropped to 28% returning only 29 seats.
While the Liberal Democrats saw their number of MEPs rise to 10, their share of the vote in Britain fell to 12.7%.
The UK Independence Party with 3 MEPs and the Greens with 2 MEPs were main beneficiaries of proportional representation, winning seats in the European Parliament for the first time.
In Scotland the SNP retained 2 seats with over 27% of the vote while in Wales, Plaid Cymru took 2 seats for the first time with 29.6% of the Welsh vote.
In Northern Ireland, where turnout was much higher than in the rest of the UK, the three sitting MEPs were elected. Ian Paisley polled 28.4% of the vote; John Hume 28.1%; and Jim Nicholson 17.6%. Sinn Fein polled 17.3% of the vote.
Table of Results: United Kingdom
|
Party
|
Votes
|
% of poll (G.B.)
|
MEPs
|
| Conservative |
3,578,218
|
35.8
|
36
|
| Labour |
2,803,821
|
28
|
29
|
| Liberal Democrat |
1,266,549
|
12.7
|
10
|
| UK Independence |
696,057
|
7
|
3
|
| Green |
625,378
|
6.2
|
2
|
| Scottish National |
268,528
|
-
|
2
|
| Plaid Cymru |
185,235
|
-
|
2
|
| Democratic Unionist |
192,762
|
-
|
1
|
| SDLP |
190,731
|
-
|
1
|
| Ulster Unionist |
119,507
|
-
|
1
|
| Pro Euro Conservative |
138,097
|
1.4
|
-
|
| British National |
102,644
|
1.0
|
-
|
| Liberal |
93,051
|
0.9
|
-
|
| Socialist Labour |
86,749
|
0.86
|
-
|
| Others |
333,753
|
-
|
-
|
|
Total Electorate:
|
44,495,741
|
||
|
Votes:
|
10,681,080
|
||
|
Turnout (UK):
|
24.0 %
|