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| Farage hails 'extraordinary' UKIP win in European election | Farage hails 'extraordinary' UKIP win in European election |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nigel Farage claims to have secured the "most extraordinary result in British politics for 100 years" as UKIP topped the European polls. | Nigel Farage claims to have secured the "most extraordinary result in British politics for 100 years" as UKIP topped the European polls. |
| With only Scotland left to declare, UKIP has 27.5% of the vote and 23 MEPs. | With only Scotland left to declare, UKIP has 27.5% of the vote and 23 MEPs. |
| Labour, on 25%, is narrowly beating the Tories to second place thanks to a strong showing in London but both parties have 18 MEPs so far. | Labour, on 25%, is narrowly beating the Tories to second place thanks to a strong showing in London but both parties have 18 MEPs so far. |
| The Lib Dems, on 7%, are coming fifth behind the Green Party, on 8%, and have lost all but one of their seats. | The Lib Dems, on 7%, are coming fifth behind the Green Party, on 8%, and have lost all but one of their seats. |
| The full Scottish result will be known at noon on Monday, as the Western Isles does not count votes on a Sunday. | The full Scottish result will be known at noon on Monday, as the Western Isles does not count votes on a Sunday. |
| The BBC is predicting that the result in Scotland will be SNP on two seats, Labour on two seats and the Conservatives and UKIP with one seat each - meaning Mr Farage's anti-EU party is expected to win at least one seat in every region of Great Britain. | The BBC is predicting that the result in Scotland will be SNP on two seats, Labour on two seats and the Conservatives and UKIP with one seat each - meaning Mr Farage's anti-EU party is expected to win at least one seat in every region of Great Britain. |
| Counting in Northern Ireland begins later on Monday. | Counting in Northern Ireland begins later on Monday. |
| In his victory speech at the South East of England count, UKIP leader Mr Farage said: "The people's army of UKIP have spoken tonight and have delivered just about the most extraordinary result in British politics for 100 years." | In his victory speech at the South East of England count, UKIP leader Mr Farage said: "The people's army of UKIP have spoken tonight and have delivered just about the most extraordinary result in British politics for 100 years." |
| He said the three main parties in Britain had led the country into the Common Market but had "twisted and turned" over an in/out referendum on EU membership. | He said the three main parties in Britain had led the country into the Common Market but had "twisted and turned" over an in/out referendum on EU membership. |
| "The penny's really dropped that as members of this union we cannot run our own country and crucially, we cannot control our own borders." | "The penny's really dropped that as members of this union we cannot run our own country and crucially, we cannot control our own borders." |
| Far from being confined to the centre right of British politics, UKIP had also bitten into old Labour heartlands, he said. | Far from being confined to the centre right of British politics, UKIP had also bitten into old Labour heartlands, he said. |
| "We're genuinely a United Kingdom Independence Party. Our people's army will go from here to Newark and move on to the general election…. You haven't heard the last of us." | "We're genuinely a United Kingdom Independence Party. Our people's army will go from here to Newark and move on to the general election…. You haven't heard the last of us." |
| Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg faced calls to stand down ahead of Sunday night's results - something firmly rejected by senior party figures. | Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg faced calls to stand down ahead of Sunday night's results - something firmly rejected by senior party figures. |
| A member of the party's federal executive, Martin Tod, reiterated his call for Mr Clegg to quit because voters were "not prepared" to listen to him. | A member of the party's federal executive, Martin Tod, reiterated his call for Mr Clegg to quit because voters were "not prepared" to listen to him. |
| He said any new leader should "prove themselves in a democratic party election". | He said any new leader should "prove themselves in a democratic party election". |
| Mr Tod, a councillor in Winchester, branded his party's results in the European elections a "disaster" and the party's response "complacent". | Mr Tod, a councillor in Winchester, branded his party's results in the European elections a "disaster" and the party's response "complacent". |
| But Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander, who has been touted as a future leader himself, insisted Mr Clegg was "by far the best spokesman" for the Lib Dems and said "plunging the party into a period of introspection" was not the right response to the results. | |
| Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps said the results were acting as "a command for Britain to get a better deal" in Europe - but he rejected calls by Tory grandee David Davis to bring forward the in/out EU referendum to 2016, saying negotiations on this could not be rushed. | Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps said the results were acting as "a command for Britain to get a better deal" in Europe - but he rejected calls by Tory grandee David Davis to bring forward the in/out EU referendum to 2016, saying negotiations on this could not be rushed. |
| Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said UKIP had tapped into people's disaffection with politics, adding that it was important to her party that Labour beat the Tories into second place. | Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said UKIP had tapped into people's disaffection with politics, adding that it was important to her party that Labour beat the Tories into second place. |
| BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson said it was "pretty striking" that Labour could not confidently, at this stage, "be sure of second place" in a national election, something that must be a "bit of a worry" for Ed Miliband less than a year away from a general election. | |
| BNP leader Nick Griffin lost his seat and saw his party's vote collapse by 6% in the North-West of England. | |
| The BNP has seen a similar slump in support across the UK and seems certain to have no representation in the next European Parliament. | The BNP has seen a similar slump in support across the UK and seems certain to have no representation in the next European Parliament. |
| But the far right anti-EU National Front has topped the poll in France, according to exit polls. | But the far right anti-EU National Front has topped the poll in France, according to exit polls. |
| Anti-EU parties from the left and right are expected to gain significant numbers of MEPs across all 28 member states in the wake of the eurozone crisis and severe financial squeeze. | Anti-EU parties from the left and right are expected to gain significant numbers of MEPs across all 28 member states in the wake of the eurozone crisis and severe financial squeeze. |
| But pro-EU parties are still expected to hold the majority in parliament. | But pro-EU parties are still expected to hold the majority in parliament. |
| Turnout across the EU is up slightly at 43.1%, according to estimates. Turnout in the UK was 33.8%, down slightly on last time. | Turnout across the EU is up slightly at 43.1%, according to estimates. Turnout in the UK was 33.8%, down slightly on last time. |
| In the European elections five years ago, the Conservatives got 27.7% of the total vote, ahead of UKIP on 16.5%, Labour on 15.7%, the Lib Dems on 13.7%, the Green Party on 8.6% and the BNP on 6.2%. |