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Farage hails 'extraordinary' UKIP win in European election Farage: UKIP has 'momentum' and is targeting more victories
(about 4 hours later)
Nigel Farage has said his "dream has become a reality" and UKIP is now the "third force" in British politics after it topped the European polls. The UK Independence Party is a truly national force and has "momentum" behind it, Nigel Farage has said after its victory in the European elections.
With Scotland and Northern Ireland left to declare, UKIP has 27.5% of the vote. Hailing a "breakthrough" in Scotland and a strong showing in Wales, he said UKIP would target its first Westminster seat in next week's Newark by-election.
Labour, on 25%, is narrowly beating the Tories into second place while the Lib Dems lost all but one of their seats and came behind the Greens. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has said he will not resign after his party lost all but one of its 12 MEPs.
David Cameron said the public was "disillusioned" with the EU and their message was "received and understood". He said he was not going to "walk away" from the job despite the poor results.
Ed Miliband said the outcome was about more than Europe and his party must respond to a "desire for change" over a wide range of issues. Mr Farage has been celebrating his party's triumph in the European polls, the first time a party other than the Conservatives or Labour has won a national election for 100 years.
The full Scottish result will be known at noon on Monday because the Western Isles does not count votes on a Sunday. Counting in Northern Ireland begins later. UKIP won 27.5% of the vote and had 24 MEPs elected. Labour, on 25.4%, has narrowly beat the Tories into third place while the Lib Dems lost all but one of their seats and came sixth behind the Greens.
It will be the first time a national election has not been won by the Conservatives or Labour in 100 years - and the first time a party with no MPs at Westminster has achieved such a result. With Northern Ireland yet to declare its results, the election highlights so far have been:
Other election highlights so far are: Mr Farage has said his party intends to build on what he has described as "the most extraordinary result" in British politics in the past century.
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." Speaking in London at an election rally, he said his party now appealed to all social classes and had made significant inroads in Wales and Scotland as well as winning the most votes in England.
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 party was aiming to win the Newark by-election next week, to try and "turn the heat" up on David Cameron. They would target a dozen or more seats in next year's general election, he added.
"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," said the UKIP leader. "Our game is to get this right, to find the right candidates, and focus our resources on getting a good number of seats in Westminster next year.
He later told the BBC that he was "over the moon" about his party's performance and he was more confident than ever that it would make a breakthrough at Westminster next year. "If UKIP do hold the balance of power, then indeed there will be a (EU) referendum."
The result had "serious consequences" for the three main party leaders and he believed Nick Clegg's position as Lib Dem leader was now "untenable". 'Like goldfish'
Mr Clegg faced calls to stand down ahead of Sunday night's results - something firmly rejected by senior party figures - but the BBC's Norman Smith said he expected pressure on the Lib Dem leader to increase. Mr Farage said Labour would come under "enormous pressure" to offer the voters a referendum on Europe, and he said he did not believe Nick Clegg would still be Lib Dem leader at the general election.
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. "The three party leaders are like goldfish that have been tipped out of their bowl onto the floor and are gasping for air," he said.
He said any new leader should "prove themselves in a democratic party election". Mr Clegg is facing calls to stand down after Sunday night's results, with MP John Pugh saying the "abysmal" performance meant the Lib Dem leader should make way for Vince Cable.
Mr Tod, a councillor in Winchester, branded his party's results in the European elections a "disaster" and the party's response "complacent". But Mr Clegg said he had no intention of stepping down despite the "gut-wrenching" loss of most of the party's representatives in Brussels.
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. "Of course it's right to have searching questions after such a bad set of results," he said.
The prime minister has said the results vindicate his call for change in the EU but has rejected calls by Tory grandee David Davis to bring forward the in/out EU referendum to 2016. "But the easiest thing in politics when the going gets really really tough is to wash your hands of it and walk away, but I'm not going to do that and neither is my party."
The Tory leadership faced further calls for an electoral pact with UKIP to avoid a split in the right of British politics at next year's general election. Reacting to his third place, David Cameron said the public was "disillusioned" with the EU and their message had been "received and understood", but he rejected calls to bring forward his proposed in/out EU referendum to 2016.
After UKIP's success, the Tory leadership is facing renewed further calls for an electoral pact with their rivals to avoid a split in the right of British politics at next year's general election.
Daniel Hannan, who was returned as a Tory MEP in the South East region, said it would be "sad" if the two parties "were not able to find some way, at least in marginal seats, of reaching an accommodation so that anti-referendum candidates don't get in with a minority of votes".Daniel Hannan, who was returned as a Tory MEP in the South East region, said it would be "sad" if the two parties "were not able to find some way, at least in marginal seats, of reaching an accommodation so that anti-referendum candidates don't get in with a minority of votes".
But Mr Cameron said it was a "myth" that the two parties had a shared agenda.But Mr Cameron said it was a "myth" that the two parties had a shared agenda.
Labour was looking at one stage as if it might be beaten into third place by the Tories - a potentially disastrous result for Ed Miliband as he seeks to show he can win next year's general election.Labour was looking at one stage as if it might be beaten into third place by the Tories - a potentially disastrous result for Ed Miliband as he seeks to show he can win next year's general election.
But the party was rescued by another strong showing in London - and it took heart from local election results in battleground seats, which party spokesmen suggested were a better guide to general election performance.But the party was rescued by another strong showing in London - and it took heart from local election results in battleground seats, which party spokesmen suggested were a better guide to general election performance.
Mr Miliband said the party was "making progress" but had "further to go" if it was to prevail in next year's general election.Mr Miliband said the party was "making progress" but had "further to go" if it was to prevail in next year's general election.
He said the outcome of the electoons was about more than Europe and his party must respond to a "desire for change" over a wide range of issues.
BNP leader Nick Griffin lost his seat and saw his party's vote collapse by 6% in the North-West of England.BNP leader Nick Griffin lost his seat and saw his party's vote collapse by 6% in the North-West of England.
Anti-EU parties from the left and right have gained 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 have gained significant numbers of MEPs across all 28 member states in the wake of the eurozone crisis and severe financial squeeze.
However, pro-EU parties will still hold the majority in parliament.However, pro-EU parties will still 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%.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%.