‘Stop Brexit’ parties got MORE votes in the European elections than Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, results have revealed
Despite the Brexit Party’s thumping victory, the full results show solidly pro-EU parties beat parties that want to crash out with no deal on October 31.
It reveals how deeply divided the country is after the Brexit referendum.
With all British regions counted except Scotland, the Lib Dems had won 20.9%, the Greens won 12.5% and Change UK won 3.6%.
With the SNP in Scotland and Plaid Cymru added in it takes the Remain vote nationwide to 40%
That meant the five biggest anti-Brexit parties won 37% of the vote – compared to 35.7% for UKIP and the Brexit Party put together.
UKIP won 3.5% of the vote while Nigel Farage’s outfit won 33.2%.
It shows the uphill struggle facing the movement to stop Brexit in the UK. Westminster had been awash with talk of a pact between the three anti-Brexit parties but it collapsed in bitter infighting before the May 23 poll.
(Image: Jack Taylor)
Since then Change UK’s leader Heidi Allen has confessed the party could merge with the Lib Dems as it struggles to pick up traction in the polls.
She said: “I think we have to learn.
“We have done really well from a standing start, but clearly the prize is the country’s future and we have to look at what went well, what went badly for us.
“And I think we need to work with other right-minded parties like us that are pushing for Remain.
“Because the country has to come first, it is not about the brand, we must come together.
(Image: AFP/Getty Images)
“That is certainly something I hope we can achieve in the coming weeks and months.”
Lib Dem MP Jo Swinson suggested her party may accept Change UK MPs, saying “anyone with liberal values is obviously welcome to join” the party.
Ms Swinson, who is expected to run for the Lib Dem leadership when Sir Vince steps down, told Sky News: “We are already working together and in Parliament, with the campaign for a people’s vote, the Liberal Democrats are working with Plaid Cymru, the Green Party, Change UK, the SNP and Labour and Conservative MPs who believe our best future is in the EU.”
But outgoing Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable suggested he was in no mood to compromise – declaring his own party the “strongest Remain force”.
“Our clear, honest, unambiguous message has won us our best ever European election result, and pushed Corbyn’s Labour into third place.
(Image: REUTERS)
“We have shown ourselves to be the strongest Remain force in British politics.
It came as both main parties suffered a ballot box trouncing after bitter infighting left them unable to agree on a united Brexit policy.
The Tories are said to have suffered their worst result since 1832, coming in fifth place behind the Greens on 8.8% in England and Wales.
Outgoing Theresa May’s party lost an astonishing 15 of its 18 seats, including for leader in the European Parliament Ashley Fox.
But Labour was also punished, losing eight seats and more than 10 percentage points to land on 14.6%, third place behind the Lib Dems.
