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Lib Dems languish in fifth place in European elections Nick Clegg under pressure after Lib Dem election losses
(about 5 hours later)
The Lib Dems have had their worst European election result for 25 years, with only one seat to their name. Nick Clegg should be replaced as Lib Dem leader by Vince Cable, one of the party's MPs has said after their worst European election result for 25 years.
They have lost seats in every region apart from the South East, where Catherine Bearder is their sole MEP. John Pugh called for Nick Clegg's position to be reviewed after the party lost all but one of its 12 MEPs.
The nine defeats so far include Edward McMillan-Scott, who has been an MEP for 30 years and was the only British vice-president of the European Parliament. The MP told the BBC it was "ludicrous" to carry on as usual, saying the results were "undeserved but abysmal".
Other ousted stalwarts include Sir Graham Watson, Andrew Duff and Chris Davies. But former leader Sir Menzies Campbell urged supporters not to panic and to back their "courageous" leader.
The Lib Dems are currently in fifth position in terms of vote share, behind the Green Party. The Lib Dems slipped to fifth in the European polls, behind the Green Party, as they lost seats in every region apart from the South East of England.
The Greens have collected 1.2m votes and have three MEPs, while the Lib Dems have one million votes and one MEP - the same total as Plaid Cymru, which only fields candidates in Wales.
The full results in Scotland are not yet known, but as Brian Taylor writes, the country looks set to lose its Lib Dem MEP, George Lyon, and finish sixth.
'Complacent''Complacent'
Senior Lib Dems had warned before Thursday's elections that the party faced losing all 11 of its MEPs. Lib Dems expected to fare badly in the elections but party president Tim Farron has said its performance - coupled with the loss of 250 council seats in the local elections - was "staggeringly disappointing".
Its slump to fifth place - coupled with the loss of 250 council seats in the local elections - has led to calls for leader Nick Clegg to stand down to prevent a wipe-out at next year's general election. Mr Farron, Sir Menzies and Lord Ashdown - another former leader who is running the party's general election campaign - have defended Mr Clegg's leadership and appealed for party unity.
Martin Tod, a member of the Liberal Democrats' federal executive, echoed calls for Mr Clegg to quit, claiming voters were "not prepared" to listen to him. But Mr Pugh, the MP for Southport, said the party was underestimating the difficulties it was in and there was an "overwhelming" case for Mr Clegg's future to be discussed.
He said any new leader should "prove themselves in a democratic party election". "We have just lost 72% of the council seats we were defending and 91% of the Euro seats," he said.
'Toxic' "The vast majority of the UK this morning is without Lib Dem representation at any level. If that does not prompt a serious, sharp review focussed view both of strategy and leadership, then whatever will!
Mr Tod, who is a councillor in Winchester and stood there in the 2010 general election, branded his party's results in the European elections a "disaster" and the party's response "complacent". "Orders just to press on regardless are genuinely of Somme-like insanity."
Former MP Sandra Gidley, one of about 250 people to have signed an online letter demanding a change of leader, said Mr Clegg was "associated with the broken promises of the coalition" and, under his leadership, the Liberal Democrat "brand had become toxic". 'Traitorous'
Mr Pugh said a "section of the electorate" was not listening to Mr Clegg and that his "personal preference" was for a "Cable succession".
Any transition to a new leader must take place "without aggravation or discord", he told the BBC News Channel, and if the party decided to stick with Mr Clegg, he said he would "knuckle" down and accept it.
Asked whether other MPs shared his views, he said. "All MPs see the problem. What they don't all agree on is the solution."
A third general election candidate, Helen Flynn, has called for Mr Clegg to stand down amid mumblings in the party which the BBC expects to increase during the day.
Martin Tod, a member of the Liberal Democrats' federal executive, claimed voters were "not prepared" to listen to Mr Clegg and said his party's response to the election reversals had been "complacent".
Former MP Sandra Gidley, one of about 250 people to have signed an online letter demanding a change of leader, said Mr Clegg was "associated with the broken promises of the coalition".
She told the BBC's Today programme that a new leader would be able to better articulate the "positive difference" the party had made by working with the Conservatives.She told the BBC's Today programme that a new leader would be able to better articulate the "positive difference" the party had made by working with the Conservatives.
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.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.
Party president Tim Farron said he should not face a leadership challenge despite a "staggeringly disappointing" result. He claimed the Lib Dems had "paid the price" for fighting a strongly pro-European campaign. Sir Menzies said the Lib Dems had had to fight the election in a "febrile" eurosceptic climate.
"There's no doubt in my mind that Nick Clegg is the person with the courage and the resilience to take the party through to and during, and indeed after, the next general election."
'Post-mortem''Post-mortem'
Catherine Bearder, the Liberal Democrat's only MEP returned so far, said Mr Clegg had been right to go out and campaign on a positive EU platform. Catherine Bearder, the only Liberal Democrat MEP to be elected so far, said Mr Clegg had been right to go out and campaign on a positive EU platform.
"It's been very difficult," she told Sky News. "We fought a very good, positive campaign on our issues of being in the European Union and standing up for Britain in the European Union.""It's been very difficult," she told Sky News. "We fought a very good, positive campaign on our issues of being in the European Union and standing up for Britain in the European Union."
She denied Mr Clegg or the EU as a whole had proved unpopular on the doorstep, but added: "People don't understand how the European Union works and they don't think it is important to their daily lives."She denied Mr Clegg or the EU as a whole had proved unpopular on the doorstep, but added: "People don't understand how the European Union works and they don't think it is important to their daily lives."
Some MPs have expressed reservations about the leadership of the party but none have yet called for Mr Clegg - who took over in 2007 - to stand down.Some MPs have expressed reservations about the leadership of the party but none have yet called for Mr Clegg - who took over in 2007 - to stand down.
Southport MP John Pugh told the Sunday Times an internal "post-mortem... has to include a truly open, mature and balanced look at our whole strategy, including the leadership issue". Among MEPs to lose their seats include veterans Sir Graham Watson, Andrew Duff and Bill Newton Dunn as well as Edward McMillan-Scott, an ex-Tory who was the only British vice-president of the European Parliament.
Colleague Adrian Sanders, who represents Torbay, said: "The problem is the messenger - very few people say it's the message."