Page last updated at 12:58 GMT, Monday, 8 June 2009 13:58 UK

Crow's No2EU gain 153,000 votes

Bob Crow
Bob Crow called for concerted action to tackle the BNP

The left-wing No2EU party led by the leader of RMT rail union Bob Crow has gained 1% of the UK vote in the European Parliament elections.

The No2EU - Yes to Democracy alliance polled 153,236 votes.

The party's leader, Bob Crow, blamed the BNP's electoral success on the collapse of the main political parties.

He called for urgent talks between socialist organisations and trade unions to build a concerted political and industrial response to the results.

Mr Crow said: "There is no question that the BNP has benefited from the collapse of the establishment political parties and from media coverage that has pumped them up."

He said sections of the press were also to blame for the BNP's success by giving it "blanket coverage".

He added: "But it's the collapse of public support for the three main parties - each of which is pro-business, pro-EU and supportive of the anti-union laws - which has created the conditions for the scapegoat-politics of the BNP to thrive.

"The fascists' support in former mining communities like Barnsley is shocking and throws down a massive challenge to the Labour and trade union movement."

The party, had said if it were elected, its MEPs would refuse to take their seats in the the European Parliament in protest at the institution's "undemocratic" nature.



Print Sponsor


EUROPEAN ELECTION RESULTS

MEP Seats

  Votes MEPs
Party % +/- % Total +/-
EPP 33.4 -1.4 264 -18
Socialists 23.2 -4.1 183 -26
Liberal 11.0 +1.6 84 +5
Green 7.4 +1.3 50 +9
Left 5.3 -0.6 34 -2
UEN 3.4 +1.6 28 +2
Ind/Dem 2.7 -1.8 21 -15
No Group 13.6 +3.4 72 +3.4
0 of 27 countries declared.

UK Total MEP Seats

Party Votes MEPs
% +/- % Total +/-
CON 27.7 1.0 *26 1
UKIP 16.5 0.3 13 1
LAB 15.7 -6.9 13 -5
LD 13.7 -1.2 11 1
GRN 8.6 2.4 2 0
BNP 6.2 1.3 2 2
SNP 2.1 0.7 2 0
PC 0.8 -0.1 1 0
OTH 8.5 2.4 0 0
SF 1 0
DUP 1 0
72 of 72 seats declared. Vote share figures exclude Northern Ireland as it has a separate electoral system to the rest of the UK
* Includes UCUNF MEP elected in Northern Ireland
KEY STORIES
FEATURES AND BACKGROUND
BBC political editor Nick Robinson Nick Robinson
Follow the BBC Political Editor's assessment of developments
VIDEO REPORTS
Harriet Harman on the big screen on the Breakfast set Harman defends 'dismal' result

David Cameron Cameron 'delighted' with results

Nick Clegg Clegg: Results 'a good platform'

Nick Griffin Jubilant BNP hails 'great victory'

Nigel Farage UKIP: A hell of an achievement

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
 

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



FEATURES, VIEWS, ANALYSIS
Has China's housing bubble burst?
How the world's oldest clove tree defied an empire
Why Royal Ballet principal Sergei Polunin quit

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Americas Africa Europe Middle East South Asia Asia Pacific