
After reducing the Tories to just 9 per cent of the vote, their worst showing ever in an election, Nigel Farage said: 'The Conservative Party are bitterly divided and I consider it to be extremely unlikely that they will pick a leader who is able to take us out on the 31st October come what may'

Nigel Farage sent out a chilling warning to the Tories today that he would try to wipe the party out at the general election if they did not get the UK out of Europe by Halloween.

After running away with the European election he goaded the deflated Conservatives after hanging them an election hiding today saying they were 'extremely unlikely' to elect a new leader who can push Brexit through by October 31.

Mocking the candidates vying to replace Theresa May as party leader and Prime Minister at a chaotic press conference in London this afternoon he said: 'Why would I trust any of them? Why would I believe any of them?'

Fresh from his dramatic triumph the Brexit Party leader told a chaotic press conference this afternoon that he did not believe that Theresa May's fragmented party would be 'able to deliver' by the October 31 deadline set by the EU.

After reducing the Tories to just 9 per cent of the vote, their worst showing ever in an election, he posed with his 29 MEPs who will form the national largest group in the European Parliament.

He said: 'The Conservative Party are bitterly divided and I consider it to be extremely unlikely that they will pick a leader who is able to take us out on the 31st October come what may.

'We might overnight have made their lives a bit easier but I don't see them being able to deliver and I think the real barrier, the real obstruction to all of this is a two-party system that may well have worked in decades gone by but is no longer fit for purpose.'

Mr Farage also claimed the Labour Party are in 'more trouble' than the Conservatives following the European election results.

His party took 31 per cent of the vote in Thursday's poll, despite only being formed six weeks ago.

In grim contrast, the Conservatives have dropped to fifth place across much of the country.

The disastrous showing immediately sparked warnings from would-be leader Boris Johnson that things will get even worse for the Tories if the UK does not leave the EU by the new deadline at the end of October - deal or no deal.

Jeremy Corbyn was facing civil war within his party as critics blamed the party's poor third-place finish on 14 per cent on his failure to back a second referendum. The Remainer Lib Dems surged into second place on 20 per cent with the Greens coming a close fourth on 12 per cent.

A jubilant Mr Farage demanded a role in the next round of negotiations with the EU, threatening to contest a general election.

Nigel Farage today goaded the Tories, saying: 'The Conservative Party are bitterly divided and I consider it to be extremely unlikely that they will pick a leader who is able to take us out on the 31st October come what may'

A jubilant Nigel Farage (pictured with Anne Widdecombe) demanded a role in the next round of negotiations with the EU after te Brexit Party's triumph, threatening to contest a general election

A group of the Brexit Party's 29 MEPs including Anne Widdecombe gathered in London for a press conference with Nigel Farage today after their political earthquake in the European elections

Speaking this morning, he blasted the Tories for their handling of Brexit but said he would be willing to support a Conservative leader who promises to take Britain out of the EU with No Deal.

He said: 'If we don't leave in October the Brexit Party will go on to a general election.

'We are happy to help any leader who is genuine about us leaving the EU. We would like to be part of the negotiating team, use us and give us some responsibility, but they need to be prepared to leave with a clean break Brexit. Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Michael Gove - all of them voted for Mrs May's European treaty.

'It's all about establishing trust – if the next leader says the same thing then no one is going to trust them.'

'This is just the beginning of a new political movement.'

Victory: Nigel Farage celebrates his Brexit Party's sweeping triumph in the European Parliament elections last night, applauding alongside successful MEP candidates Robert Rowland (left) and Belinda de Lucy (right)

These diagrams show how the Brexit Party has stormed to victory in the European elections, winning the most votes and seats

A swing chart showed the Brexit Party surging from non-existence to almost a third of the vote while Labour, the Conservatives and UKIP all slumped

WHAT ARE THE KEY DATES FOR BREXIT NOW - AND CAN A NEW DEAL BE AGREED BY OCTOBER 31? There might be five months left until the next deadline for the UK to leave the EU, but in fact time is short to prepare the ground for it to happen. The new Tory leader is unlikely to be in place before the end of July. And then they will have just two months - including August, when much of the continent downs tools - to overhaul the Brexit deal Theresa May thrashed out with Brussels. Success in this process would still mean a frantic race against time to pass legislation through Parliament in October. Here are the key dates in the process: June 7 - Theresa May formally steps down June 10 - Tory leadership contest begins The battle to succeed Mrs May as Tory leader should formally kick off early in June. Nominations to stand will close in the week beginning June 10 before it is put to several rounds of votes. The final two candidates are then offered to the Tory membership at large for an election. It could take two to six weeks for MPs to whittle down the leadership contenders From 24 June - Top Two Tory candidates are offered to Tory members Once Tory MPs have whittled the leadership contenders down to the top two in a series of votes - the lucky two will be be put to a vote by Conservative Party members. July 26 - New Tory leader selected and becomes PM The Tory party hierarchy has said it wants a new Tory party leader to be selected by the Parliamentary recess - which is likely to be on July 26. The new leader will become Prime Minister and form a government.

September 29-October 2 - Conservative Party conference The Tory gathering in Manchester this autumn will be the natural time for a new leader to take the stage and try to unite the fractured party. Assuming no way has been found to force a Withdrawal Agreement through Parliament by this point, they will need to spell out how they intend to approach the Brexit process. October 31 - Britain leaves the EU? The Brexit extension Mrs May thrashed out with the EU expires on October 31. Unless another postponement can be agreed, the UK is still scheduled to leave the bloc at this point. Advertisement

On a dramatic political night where turnout rose to a 15-year high as voters vented their fury at the chaos in Westminster:

Boris Johnson seized on the 'rout' for the Tories to make his case to succeed Theresa May and pull the country out of the EU on October 31 come what may, while Chancellor Philip Hammond warned that any attempt to force a No Deal Brexit could collapse the Government;

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said it was a 'painful result' and there was an 'existential risk to our party unless we now come together and get Brexit done';

Mr Farage's Brexit Party polled above 50 per cent of vote share in some areas and raked in 31 per cent nationally;

Tony Blair's former spin doctor Alastair Campbell said he had voted Lib Dem – the first time he had not voted Labour;

Change UK polled just 5 per cent in the Remain stronghold of London;

Far-Right activist Tommy Robinson failed to win a seat as an independent, while Ukip lost all its MEPs;

Turnout hit 37 per cent, the highest level since the European elections in 2004;

Remain campaigners claimed that parties who support a second referendum on staying in the EU are on track to do better than hard Brexit parties;

Scotland was the only place where the Brexit Party's surge was held back, with the SNP topping the polls north of the border;

Election experts warned that the UK is more deeply divided between Leave and Remain than ever;

Across Europe, far-Right and Eurosceptic parties were on course to win more seats than ever before.

With almost all results in this morning, the Brexit Party's share of the vote was 31 per cent – ahead of the Lib Dems on 20 per cent.

Labour was third on just 14 per cent, with the Greens next on 12 per cent and the Tories on a disastrous 9 per cent.

That is thought to make it the worst performance for the Conservatives since they took on their current name in 1834.

Change UK, formed this year to fight for a second referendum, attracted just 3.4 per cent of the vote.

In terms of MEPs elected, the Brexit Party were on 28, the Lib Dems 15 and Labour ten. The Greens had seven MEPs and the Conservatives just three. Change UK had none.

Mr Farage, who was re-elected as an MEP in the South East, declared: 'This is a big, big message, a big wake-up call to Westminster. Will they listen? Never before in British politics has a new party launched just six weeks ago topped the polls at a national election.

'The reason of course is very obvious. We voted to leave in a referendum. We were supposed to do so on March 29 and we haven't.'

Mr Johnson laid into Mrs May - who announced her resignation on Friday - for having 'flagrantly failed' to achieve Britain's departure from the EU.

By contrast he has already declared that if he becomes leader this summer the UK will leave the EU at the end of October, with or without a deal.

He wrote in the Daily Telegraph: 'No one sensible would aim exclusively for a no-deal outcome. No one responsible would take no-deal off the table.'

This map shows the party which won the most votes in each of hundreds of local authority areas in England, Wales and Scotland. With almost all results in, the Brexit Party had won the vast majority of council areas in England and Wales last night

This diagram shows where the Brexit Party had their strongest results and where Labour and the Tories struggled the most

Former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe (pictured last night) said that if Britain did not leave the EU then 'the Brexit Party will do what they've done tonight in a general election'

The Conservative vote share slumped to around 9 per cent - thought to be its lowest in a national election since 1834 when the party took on its current name

With almost all the results in from Scotland, the SNP seems likely to win three of the six Scottish MEP seats - with Scottish Labour losing its two MEPs

His concerns over the future of the party were echoed by rival leadership hopeful Jeremy Hunt who warned there was an 'existential risk to our party unless we now come together and get Brexit done.'

Farage faces next big test at Peterborough by-election next week - with the result still up in the air Nigel Farage is hoping to take the Brexit Party's first seat in Parliament next week. Mr Farage believes that the momentum from his party's European elections results gives them the chance to enter the Commons. But some voters who backed the Brexit Party this time are still undecided on whether they would do it in a Parliamentary election. Leave voter Dan Woodland, 73, backed the Brexit Party had his vote at the European elections, 'But I don't know who I will vote for in the by-election', he told The Times. Barry Vinicombe, also 73, said: 'I don't know if any of them will be good for Peterborough'. A lifelong Tory supporter who appeared on Channel 4's the Secret Millionaire will stand as the Brexit Party's candidate in the Peterborough by-election next Thursday. Mike Greene, a local benefactor and trustee of Peterborough cathedral, will fight the June 6 by-election. A victory would give Nigel Farage's new party its first seat in the Commons. The seat in Peterborough became available after Labour MP Fiona Onasanya was ousted in a petition. Last year she was jailed for perverting the course of justice after lying to avoid a speeding ticket. Advertisement

Another contender, Home Secretary Sajid Javid, said the Tories must 'get on with' Brexit.

'There's a clear lesson: people want us to get on with it. Not another election or referendum asking if changed their mind,' he tweeted.

'We'll need to unite as a party to deliver that. There are no other options.'

Daniel Hannan, who was elected as one of just three Tory MEPs in England and Wales, said the European elections had been 'without question our worst result as a party ever'.

'People voted to leave three years ago and we haven't left, it's as simple as that,' he said.

'I think I'm back as one of, I think it looks like being three Conservatives nationally.

'So without question our worst result as a party ever.'

But he suggested the party's fortunes could be turned around and the threat from Mr Farage's Brexit Party neutralised if the UK did leave the EU.

'The appeal of a party called the Brexit Party will dry up very quickly once Brexit has happened,' he said.

'We need to leave in a way that carries as many people with us as possible and we need to be conciliatory and we need to have a Brexit that is cordial and orderly and that people in the 48% and the 52% can live with, but it's got to happen speedily.

'I was not expecting to go back to the European Parliament and I really don't want to stay there any longer than is necessary.'

Former Brexit minister Chris Heaton-Harris said the Tories deserved their thrashing.

'Awful results for my Party tonight, but whilst our teams of candidates didn't deserve them, our Party did,' he said. 'We should have left the EU on 29th March, as we promised, with or without a deal. The message about leaving on 31st Oct is crystal clear.'

However, Remainers voiced alarm at a populist shift. Former minister Sam Gyimah warned against interpreting the results as a 'mandate for No Deal'.

'Tough election for @Conservatives, and we need to rapidly find a way forward. With 34.9% of voters voting for hard Brexit in a low turnout election (compared to the GE and referendum), we should be careful not to interpret this as a mandate for No Deal.'

Corbyn hints he now WILL back a second referendum Jeremy Corbyn has hinted strongly that he will back a second referendum after furious Labour members savaged the party's strategy following a humiliation at the European elections. The Labour leader said 'this issue will have to go back to the people', suggesting either a general election or a new public vote. His shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry was among those to blast the party's 'unclear' strategy and demand a second referendum after Labour's thrashing. Ms Thornberry said that the Opposition were 'getting a good kicking' as results suggested that a pro-Remain Lib Dem revival has eaten into the Labour vote. In a fresh hint that he was indeed considering backing a fresh Brexit poll, Mr Corbyn said the EU elections had become 'a proxy second referendum'. He added: 'With the Conservatives disintegrating and unable to govern, and Parliament deadlocked, this issue will have to go back to the people, whether through a general election or a public vote. 'Over the coming days, we will have conversations across our party and movement, and reflect on these results on both sides of the Brexit divide.' On a disastrous night for the party, Labour's vote share tumbled to third overall behind the Lib Dems. Critics said the voters' damning verdict came about because Mr Corbyn had tried and failed to attract the support of both Leave and Remain voters. In the event, voters on both sides of the Brexit divide deserted his party. Advertisement

In a slight consolation, the Tories appear on course to retain their single MEP in Scotland when results are officially declared.

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson said 'all indications' pointed to Baroness Mobarik retaining her seat on a 'tough night' for the party across the UK.

Tory chairman Brandon Lewis said: 'We knew this would be a difficult night for @Conservatives - people want us to deliver Brexit as quickly as possible. We must.'

Mr Farage's triumph last night - which saw Ann Widdecombe and Annunziata Rees-Mogg elected as MEPs - marks a second consecutive victory for him at a European election.

His victories in 2014 and 2019 are the only two times since 1906 that a party other than Labour and the Conservatives has won a national poll in the UK.

The result will put huge pressure on the Conservatives to deliver Brexit but leaves third-placed Labour in equal turmoil as the party faces furious demands from its supporters to commit to a second referendum.

Mr Farage's party surged all over the country, eclipsing his performance as UKIP leader in 2014 to win Wales and the North East of England, including victories in Cardiff and Newcastle which voted Remain in 2016.

'This is the vote that says put no-deal Brexit back on the table, make it part of our negotiations because without that we have no chance of getting a sensible, fair trade deal and I want us, as the Brexit Party, to be engaged in that,' he said.

'It's also a vote that says 31st October is the next really big day in this process, if we do not leave on that day then you can expect the Brexit Party to repeat this kind of surprise in the next general election.'

Saying that he would be willing to work with Boris Johnson as prime minister, he added: 'I will work with anybody if it's to achieve Brexit, I would work with anybody.'

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage addresses supporters after being re-elected as an MEP during the results for the European Parliamentary election in Southampton

Brexit Party chairman and newly-elected MEP Richard Tice said the success of his party showed that millions of people wanted a No Deal Brexit.

No Deal Brexit: Where do the Tory leadership candidates stand? Boris Johnson: Brexiteer who backs a deal but will leave without a deal if required. Writing in the Daily Telegraph today the ex-foreign secretary said: 'No one sensible would aim exclusively for a no-deal outcome. No one responsible would take no-deal off the table.' Dominic Raab: Brexiteer who wants the current deal with Brussels renegotiated but believes the UK should leave on October 31 'at the latest' with or without a deal. Andrea Leadsom: Brexiteer who told the Guardian we must be 'prepared to leave without a deal' but has a 'three-point plan for Brexit, for how we get out of the European Union'. Rory Stewart: Remainer who says he could not work for a PM who backed a No Deal Brexit. Described it as 'damaging, unnecessary' and 'a huge mistake'. Michael Gove: Brexiteer who favours a deal. He told the BBC at the weekend that 'we would be able to get through it' but added: 'It's ultimately better for all of us if we secure a deal with the EU and leave in an orderly way'. Matt Hancock: Remainer who backs a deal. He told Sky News that leaving the European Union without an agreement is 'not an active policy choice that is available to the next prime minister', in jibe at Boris Johnson. Jeremy Hunt: Remainer turned Brexiteer whose views on No Desal have varied. last year he said it would be 'a mistake we would regret for generations' before later insisting the UK would 'would survive and prosper' if it left unilaterally. Esther McVey: Ruled out a futher Brexit extension, telling Sky yesterday: 'October 31 is the key date and we are coming out then, and if that means without a deal then that's what it means. We won't be asking for any more extensions. If Europe wants to come back to us, the door is open if they want a better deal.' Advertisement

He said: 'We are incredibly humbled by the fact that millions of others across the country are backing our simple message to restore trust in democracy.'

Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory Cabinet minister, was last night one of three MEPs elected for the Brexit Party in the South West.

Miss Widdecombe warned: 'A message to Westminster has come out loud and clear tonight which is: If you don't Brexit, you will be going against the will of the people and then the Brexit Party will do what they have done tonight in a general election.'

She added: 'When we go to Brussels we will say that because of our showing in these elections ... we want a role in the negotiations.'

Britain went to the polls on Thursday but the results remained a secret until last night so that the outcome would not influence voters in other European nations who were still casting their ballots on Sunday.

In Wales, traditionally a Labour stronghold, the party was third with 127,000 votes, behind the Brexit Party with 271,000 and Plaid Cymru on 163,000.

In the West Midlands, the Brexit Party won three seats after picking up 37.7 per cent of the vote, ahead of Labour on 16.9 per cent, the Lib Dems on 16.3 per cent and Greens on 10.7. The Tories came fifth in the region with a 10 per cent share.

The Tories slumped into third in Windsor and Maidenhead in the South East region – where Theresa May has her constituency. With just 13.5 per cent of the vote, they trailed the Brexit Party on 32.7 per cent and Lib Dems on 31.5 per cent.

In another sign of major-party struggles, Labour came fourth in Sheffield - down from first at the last election - while the Conservatives came in a miserable sixth in the city.

In London, the Tories came fifth with 177,964 votes – with the party's most senior MEP Syed Kamall losing his seat. The Lib Dems topped the poll in the capital with 608,725, ahead of Labour 536,810, the Brexit Party on 400,257 and the Greens on 278,957.

In an embarrassing blow for Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, his party came second to the Lib Dems in his own backyard of Islington.

In the East of England, the Brexit Party polled more than 600,000 votes – pushing the Tories into fourth place.

The Brexit Party took three of the seats, the Lib Dems two and the Tories and the Greens one each. There were a series of remarkable results. In Kingston, the Lib Dems secured almost 48 per cent of the vote. Anti-Brexit Labour peer Lord Adonis tweeted: 'Very clear that if Labour had been the party of Remain in this election, we would have won.'

There was little to celebrate for Change UK, UKIP or independent candidate Tommy Robinson, who failed to win a seat.

Emily Thornberry was among the first to react for Labour, saying the party had made mistakes about Brexit and demanding a second referendum.

Far-right activist and former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson (centre) arrives at a count in Manchester last night, where he failed to win election as an MEP and lost his £5,000 deposit

Among the high-profile MEP candidates, the Brexit Party's Annunziata Rees-Mogg (left) - sister of Jacob - was elected but Change UK's Rachel Johnson (right), whose brother is Boris Johnson, did not win a seat

SNP on course for victory in Scotland The SNP is on track for its best ever European election results - with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon declaring it 'emphatically clear' that Scotland has rejected Brexit. With almost all the results in from Scotland, the SNP seems likely to win three of the six Scottish MEP seats - with Scottish Labour losing its two MEPs. Results from 31 of the 32 councils across Scotland showed the SNP, who fought the election campaign on a strong pro-European platform, had polled 37.7 per cent. The party's previous best Euro election result was 32.6 per cent in 1994. But while Ms Sturgeon's party increased its vote - it had polled 28.9 per cent in the last European elections in 2014 - Labour's vote slumped. Five years ago it was a close second with 25.9 per cent of the votes, but with all but one of the council areas having declared, that fell to 9.3 per cent. Labour's David Martin - who had been the UK's longest serving MEP having first been elected in 1984 - conceded he had lost his seat, with the party paying the price for its failure to take a clear stand on the crucial issue of Brexit. Ms Sturgeon said tonight: 'Outstanding results so far tonight for the SNP- on course for our best ever Euro election result. 'Polling way ahead of any other party. Higher % in Scotland than Brexit Party's current share in UK. Emphatically clear that Scotland doesn't want Brexit.' Advertisement

The Greens also raced into second place in Sheffield, amid strong results for environmentalist parties across the continent in the 28-nation ballot.

Former Lord Mayor of Sheffield Magid Magid, who won a seat for the Green Party in Yorkshire and Humber, tweeted: 'We did it. Today is about a Green Wave cascading through Europe & landing on the shores of Yorkshire for the first time. We're just getting started.

'This'll be more than a fleeting midsummer night's dream in Brussels. We're going to turn the tide of history!'

They came first in strongly pro-Remain Bristol and in Norwich.

Meanwhile independent candidate Tommy Robinson was defeated in the North West of England.

Speaking at the Manchester count, the former leader of the English Defence League said he had faced a 'near impossible task' in attempting to win one of the eight seats available.

Despite a controversial campaign in which he was targeted by milkshake-wielding protesters, he said: 'More than anything every community I have gone to - every working class estate - I have so felt loved, (more) than I have ever felt in my life.'

Jacob Rees-Mogg's sister Annunziata, standing for the Brexit Party, said her brother would be 'devastated' by the results. Her party won three seats in the East Midlands. After the result was announced in Kettering, the newly-elected MEP said the Conservatives were paying for outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May 'betraying' the public.

Miss Rees-Mogg described the results as 'quite astounding', saying: 'They have been far bigger percentages than I had anticipated, although while I was on the streets in areas as diverse as Boston, Mansfield, Skegness and Chesterfield, the people were telling us they wanted to be listened to.

Tony Blair's former spin doctor Alastair Campbell (pictured on the BBC's election broadcast last night) said he had voted for the Liberal Democrats, rejecting Labour for the first time in his life

Lib Dems celebrate as Change UK ask to merge The Liberal Democrats were jubilant last night after their surge forced Change UK to beg them for a merger. Sir Vince Cable's party was set to finish second in terms of vote share as it hoovered up thousands of pro-Remain votes across the country from the main parties. Meanwhile, projections indicated Change UK would not to bag a single MEP. But leader Heidi Allen said that the new centrist party was 'down but not out' last night. Change UK MP Chuka Umunna said on Saturday that the two parties should form a pact not to stand against each other's candidates in the next general election. And yesterday Mrs Allen, who left the Conservatives to join other breakaway Tory and Labour MPs, said she would go 'one step further'. 'I would like us to be in the same vehicle,' she told BBC Radio 5 Live. Asked if she meant the same party, Mrs Allen replied: 'Yeah, probably.' The Lib Dems were 'cock-a-hoop' at their performance last night, taking votes from Labour supporters angry at the party's equivocal stance on Brexit. Turnout was said to be higher in Remain areas than in Leave ones, meaning the Lib Dems were on course to do even better than predicted. At the last European elections in 2014, towards the end of the Coalition period, the Lib Dems performed disastrously – taking only one seat. The Greens also looked set to outperform Change UK last night. In the weeks following its formation, Change UK figures were talking confidently of replacing the Lib Dems as the third party in British politics. But yesterday Mrs Allen admitted that it was more likely that her party would have to join forces with the Lib Dems. 'I think we are sensible enough to know we can't do it on our own,' she said, adding: 'I don't know what the format will be, but will we be singing from the same hymn sheet? I would hope as a collective, let's call us a collective, somewhere in the middle with other like-minded colleagues.' Mrs Allen said that to be a 'real insurgent force', the alliance needs to be 'brand new' rather than a larger Lib Dem party. She predicted that more Tory MPs could desert the party if Boris Johnson becomes prime minister, while Labour MPs may also defect if Jeremy Corbyn continues to refuse to commit to a second referendum. However, she added that while the Brexit Party may do well in the EU elections it should not be part of any future Brexit negotiations. 'I don't think so. They need to earn some MPs to get that,' she said. Advertisement

'Today, they have had their voices heard and we will fight for them tooth and nail.'

Addressing how her brother will be feeling, Miss Rees-Mogg said: 'I have no doubt he will be devastated at what has been done to his own party, the Conservatives. Theresa May has betrayed the British people.

'She made a lot of promises she didn't stick to and unfortunately the whole party is paying for it. We are the party that will be listening to them.'

Writing in the Daily Telegraph before the results, Tory leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson said: 'I predict a rout.

'In this miserable election that should never have taken place, for a Euro parliament that should no longer represent us, the voters are delivering a crushing rebuke to the government – in fact, to both major parties.

'I cannot find it in my heart to blame them. They gave us one chief task: to deliver Brexit. They have so far given us almost three years to do it.

'We have flagrantly failed to carry out their instructions.

'We have missed deadline after deadline, broken promise after promise; and today our employers – the people – have figuratively summoned us to human resources.'

Daniel Hannan, a Conservative MEP in the South East, said the results were 'cataclysmic' for the party and left its new leader with a 'smoking ruin'.

'Ultimately the House of Commons has voted to prevent us leaving without the EU's explicit permission, that's what not leaving without a deal means. Brussels has had no incentive even to pretend to negotiate,' he said.

'In the end I suspect we are going to need a general election in order to break this deadlock.'

The Conservatives lost their two most senior MEPs in the rout. Syed Kamall, who led their Europe-wide group the ECR, missed out in London. Ashley Fox, who was the Tory group leader, lost in the South West.

The European Parliament's size is intended to be reduced to 705 in the 2019–2024 legislature after 46 of the UK's seats are removed following Brexit, and the rest are shared out among unrepresented countries.

Throughout June the elected candidates will negotiate to form political groupings to sit with in the Parliament, before beginning the new ninth term on July 2.

All 29 of the Brexit Party's new MEPs

Nigel Farage will lead an army of 29 new Brexit Party MEPs as they head to Brussels after thrashing the Tories and Labour.

The group, who only joined the party six weeks ago, were elected in a shockwave vote sparked because Britain failed to leave the EU on March 29 this year.

Many of the candidates are political newbies, most have a background in business but others have worked for the NHS, in the media or for Mr Farage himself.

The eclectic group includes Belinda de Lucy, a mother-of-four, seafood millionaire Lance Forman, and Louis Stedman-Bryce, who stood in Scotland saying that as a gay black man he was 'tired' of the way Brexit voters were portrayed.

These are the 29 new Brexit Party MEPs that millions of Britons voted to elect last Thursday.

Mother-of-four Belinda de Lucy who was elected as a Brexit Party MEP last night alongside seafood millionaire Lance Forman

Nigel Farage

During nearly three decades in public life, Nigel Farage has risen from a eurosceptic rabble-rouser on the fringes of British politics to a pivotal player reshaping the country's Brexit-dominated landscape.

Farage was a driving force behind the 2016 vote to quit the EU and the 55-year-old has now helped see off two prime ministers after scoring his third political victory in five years in the European Parliament polls held in Britain on Thursday.

The next step in his plan is ti find 650 candidates to stand in the next General Election.

Ann Widdecombe

Ann Widdecombe began her career as a Tory councillor in Surrey before being elected to Parliament in 1987.

During her career as an MP she gained notoriety for advocating the death penalty and opposing some gay rights legislation.

After John Major became Prime Minister she was promoted to the front bench as a junior minister. In 1995 she became prisons minister - notably visiting every prison in the UK.

In 2010 she left Parliament and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing with Anton Du Beke.

Earlier this year she announced she was defecting from the Tories to the Brexit Party and backing Nigel Farage at the EU elections.

On May 23 she was elected as an MEP for the South West of England.

Annunziata Rees-Mogg

The younger sister of Brexit hardliner Jacob Rees-Mogg was unveiled as the Brexit Party's star candidate.

The 40-year-old married mother of one last appeared on the political stage in 2010 as the Tory candidate in Somerton and Froome, losing the Somerset seat to the Lib Dems by less than 2,000 votes.

Ahead of the poll it was claimed David Cameron asked her to shorten her name to Nancy Mogg - but she refused and later claimed 'I think it's phoney to pretend to be someone you're not'.

Annunziata married former soldier Matthew Glanville in 2010 and they have a daughter, Isadora.

Richard Tice

Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice is a multi-millionaire property developer in charge of a £500 million portfolio.

He co-founded Leave.EU, which campaigned in the referendum, with Arron Banks.

Tice, 54, then founded Leave Means Leave to fight for a hard Brexit.

He regularly appears on TV and radio to make his case. He had been a loyal Tory backer, and was tipped to stand for them in next year's election for London's mayor.

Louis Stedman-Bryce

Louis Stedman-Bryce is the Brexit Party's only Scottish MEP.

He said democracy was being 'betrayed' and as a gay black man he was 'tired' of the way Brexit voters were portrayed.

Mr Stedman Bryce said: 'The perception is we are white, homophobic, racists, and don't know what we voted for. So I stand before you today as a gay black man. And I definitely know what I was voting for. I voted for Brexit.'

He also appeared to break with Nigel Farage during the campaign and said he would not oppose a second Scottish independence referendum.

The care home director said: 'If there was a demand for it, we are democrats, we believe in democracy, if the people said that is what they wanted then I don't feel we would stand in their way.

Ben Habib

Ben Habib is chief executive of First Property, a £730 million portfolio that has made the Anglo-Pakistani magnate millions from investments in office blocks in Central Europe.

The company has boasted of exploiting 'Brexit nervousness' to maximise profits.

Mr Habib, who lives in a £6 million mansion in Hampshire with wife Sarah and three children, was previously a lifelong Conservative voter who donated to the party

Martin Daubney

Martin Daubney, now a regular TV pundit but the former editor of 1990s 'lads' mag' Loaded, is the son of a Nottinghamshire coal miner and now a West Midlands MEP.

He won plaudits from voters after he said he believed the current Westminster politicians were 'clueless' about the 'real world' of ordinary people's lives and 'don't know what a day's work is'.

After winning one of three Brexit Party seats in the West Midlands, newly-elected MEP Martin Daubney tweeted: 'I did it! I'm in!'

June Mummery

June Mummery is a member of Fishing For Leave and the managing director of fish market auctioneers BFP Eastern in Lowestoft, Suffolk. Described as a 'veteran Brexiteer' who 'has spent years fighting for the rights of British fisherman by finally taking back controls of our waters', she has claimed some people call her Boadicea, after the British queen who led a doomed uprising against Roman rule almost 2,000 years ago.

Mummery, 55, backed Brexit for the economic benefits she believes it will bring for the fishing industry, adding: 'At the moment we have about 500 people making a living from fish in the town. If Brexit goes our way, I believe the workforce will double in the next ten to 15 years.'

Mrs Mummery's daughter Scarlett, 23, who works on oil rigs, has used her model good looks to gain almost 25,000 followers on Instagram.

James Glancy

James Glancy was a Captain in the elite British Royal Marines and Special Boat Service, serving in three combat tours of Afghanistan.

In 2012, he was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) for leadership and bravery on the frontline.

He is now a Director of a conservation charity, Veterans 4 Wildlife, where he focuses on the preservation of African wildlife and combating the global trade in shark fins.

James is currently a host on Discovery Channel's Shark Week and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

He says Brexit has made Britain an international laughing stock.

Claire Fox

Former Communist Party member Claire Fox is the director of the Academy of Ideas, which she established to create a public space where ideas can be contested without constraint.

She is a panelist on BBC Radio 4's The Moral Maze and is frequently invited to comment on developments in culture, education, media and free speech issues on TV and radio programmes in the UK such as Newsnight and Any Questions?

She said: 'Don't get me wrong, I'm from the left. If you sat Nigel and I down, I am not going to agree with them on any range of questions. But the question now is whether we are going to let democracy be overturned'.

Lance Forman

Mr Forman is owner of luxury food company H.Forman and Son, famed for its smoked salmon.

Before taking over the family business, Lance Forman started out as President of the Cambridge Union.

He qualified as a chartered accountant at PWC before running his salmon business out of east London.

Matthew Patten

Matthew is an experienced business and charity director.

He has global board and CEO experience in social impact, sports, commerce, social mobility, governance, campaigning, fundraising and business development knowledge.

He has been Chief Executive of the Lord's Taverners, Chief Executive at M&C Saatchi Sponsorship and Director of Communications for Clubs for Young People, working with over 400,000 disadvantaged young people.

John Longworth

John Longworth, 60, is a former director of Asda and Tesco who stood down as head of the British Chambers of Commerce in 2016 when he publicly backed Brexit, against the group's agreed stance. He says MPs have 'done everything possible to frustrate, delay and undermine' the process of leaving the EU. He is now chairman of Leave Means Leave, the lobby group set up by Richard Tice.

Christina Jordan

Christina is a former NHS nurse turned community leader.

She came to the UK from Malaysia in 1985 after starting her career as a secretary at Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

She completed her Registered General Nurse training at Winchester General Hospital and went on to work as a staff nurse.

Now she lives in Salisbury after a long career in nursing.

She said: 'I love this country. I want to stand up for the 17.4 million'.

Lucy Harris

Lucy Harris, a former opera singer turned Brexit campaigner, also won in Yorkshire and Humber.

She hit the headlines last year after she claimed a commuter called her 'thick and racist' for wearing a bag supporting leaving the EU.

Ms Harris, a Brexiteer and founder of the pro-Brexit group Leavers of London, accompanied her post with a picture of the man, who denied her claims and described in the incident as 'friendly chat'.

Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen

Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, 59, a Danish national, who has lived in the UK for more than 20 years with his British wife and children.

He is an NHS dentist, senior trade union official and a socialist, who lives in London and is standing in the North West of England as a candidate.

Mr Overgaard-Nielsen said he was involved in the campaign in Denmark in 1992 to reject the Maastricht Treaty, which he said was then rejected by politicians in that country.

David Bull

Ex A&E doctor David Bull was spotted by a modelling agency before transitioning into TV.

He appeared on Watchdog before moving to join Tomorrow's world' the prime time technology show.

In 2002 David launched the cult show Most Haunted Live, and hosted the world's largest live ghost hunt, each show being a three hour unscripted live show.

He stood for the Tories in the 2009 election before joining the Brexit Party this year.

Alexandra Phillips

Alexandra Phillips was UKIP's Head of Media for three years but would later join the Conservative Party after Theresa May became leader.

But she left again after her failure to deliver Brexit.

There were jokes and a little confusion as voters in the South East elected two people called Alexandra Phillips to represent them in the European Parliament.

Brexit Party MEP Alexandra Phillips secured a seat in the region alongside leader Nigel Farage and two other party colleagues.

Meanwhile, the Green Party's Alexandra Phillips, previously the mayor of Brighton and Hove, was also elected.

Robert Rowland

Robert Rowland was elected alongside Nigel Farage in the south-east.

He helped fund more than £15,000 for supporter Don MacNaughton, 81, who was covered in the strawberry drink by a 'yob' who spotted his Brexit Party rosette in Aldershot on Thursday.

An outpouring of public sympathy for the widower saw a crowd-funding effort to pay for his dry cleaning bill surge in popularity, and within hours donations were approaching £15,000.

Mr Rowland explained: 'It quickly snowballed into an incredible act of charity that gives you faith in the British public.

'Don was also being offered cash by the great British public on the street, which he steadfastly declined.'

Belinda de Lucy

The new Brexit Party MEP is studying Masters in EU Law while campaigning to leave.

She says she loves Europe and all its 44 nations - but not its political institutions.

She tweeted today: 'Thank you to all the protesters, campaigners, leafleters, supporters for every hour you stood, insult you bore, mile you marched and EVERY vote you've had to make. And they thought we'd come to heel'.

Nathan Gill

Nathan Gill heads up the Brexit Party in Wales, having previously served as a UKIP MEP.

He is one of two newly-elected Brexit Party MEPs for Wales, tweeted: 'Thank you Wales! I will never forget that you voted to leave, even though those in Westminster have tried to silence your vote. Along with @JamesfWells I will be your voice in the European Parliament and we will get our Brexit.'

He added: 'Wales voted to LEAVE! We knew what we were voting for and we still want to LEAVE. @brexitparty-uk is the only party committed to respecting the vote of the people of Wales'.

James Well

James Wells, who has been elected in Wales, was a civil servant banned from political involvement so resigned from his job as head of UK trade at the Office for National Statistics.

He left work for the last time on at 4pm and embarked on a campaign to become an MEP the following day.

'It's been a bit of a whirlwind,' he said, but he could no longer go on 'shouting at the TV' as he believed 'democratic values' were being 'trampled over'.

Michael Heaver

Michael Heaver is a former press adviser for Mr Farage who writes for pro-Brexit political news website Westmonster.

The newly-elected Brexit Party MEP tweeted: 'Huge win here in East of England with 38% of the vote and 3 Brexit MEPs. The fight back starts now!'

Jonathan Bullock

Former UKIP MEP Jonathan Bullock defected to the Brexit Party and is now an MEP in the East Midlands.

For the Conservative Party, Bullock fought the Parliamentary seats of Manchester Gorton in 1992 and Gedling in 2001 before standing in the 2004 European Parliament election in the East Midlands constituency.

Rupert Lowe

Former Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe was the Brexit Party's lead candidate for the European Elections in the West Midlands.

Mr Lowe, 61, became the football club's chairman in the mid-1990s and resigned in June 2006 after the club slumped into administration.

In 1997 stood for the Referendum Party and played a high-profile role in the 2016 EU referendum.

Andrew Kerr

Andrew Kerr is a lawyer turned politician who was elected in the West Midlands yesterday.

He also runs a number of business, including an estate agency.

Jake Pugh

Jake Pugh has been elected to his first political post in Europe overnight as part of the Brexit Party's big win.

He tweeted today: 'Three more MEPs for the Brexit Party, taking half of the seats in Yorkshire and the Humber. Congratulations!'

Brian Monteith

Scottish-born Brian Monteith is PR expert who was a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament between 1999 and 2007.

He has now been elected as an MEP for the Brexit Party in the North East England constituency.

Monteith listed a French address as his primary home on his nomination papers and has not said if he will move to the North East region now elected.

John Tennant

Before becoming an MEP, Gateshead-born Mr Tennant is a senior councillor on Hartlepool Borough Councillor, having been elected as an independent and formed a group called the Independent Union.

He has worked in Brussels and was considered to be close to Nigel Farage, helping him with his speaker schedule.

An opera singer, a former special forces officer, Jacob Rees Mogg's sister and an ex-NHS nurse head to Brussels for the Brexit Party - while ex-Sheffield Mayor who 'banned' Trump becomes a Green MEP

The European elections earthquake will deliver an extraordinary array of new British MEPs to Brussels including Jacob Rees-Mogg's sister Annunziata and former opera singer Lucy Harris.

The Brexit Party will also be represented by a war hero, a former communist and an ex-NHS nurse after Nigel Farage's men and women humbled the Tories and Labour.

Ms Rees-Mogg, once one of David Cameron's 'cuties' who refused party requests to 'de-toff' her name to Nancy, was elected in the East Midlands.

Miss Harris, a former opera singer turned Brexit campaigner, also won in Yorkshire and Humber, hit the headlines last year after she claimed a commuter called her 'thick and racist' for wearing a bag supporting leaving the EU.

Fellow Brexit Party candidate James Glancy, a retired Captain in the Royal Marines awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for fighting in Afghanistan, was elected in the south-west alongside former nurse Christina Jordan, who came to Britain as an immigrant in 1985.

As Labour lost votes to remain parties Magid Magid - whose election slogan was 'immigrants make Britain great' having banned Trump from Sheffield when he was Lord Mayor - was elected as a Green MEP in Yorkshire and Humber.

The extraordinary array of new British MEPs heading to Brussels will include Jacob Rees-Mogg's sister Annunziata (left) and former opera singer Lucy Harris (right)

The Brexit Party's Claire Fox speaks on stage after being elected in the north-west calling the results a 'cry for freedom'

New Green Party MEP candidate, former Sheffield Lord Mayor Magid Magid, has been elected in the Yorkshire and Humber region (pictured centre)

Mr Magid tweeted today: 'We did it. Today is about a Green Wave cascading through Europe and landing on the shores of Yorkshire for the first time. We're just getting started. This'll be more than a fleeting midsummer night's dream in Brussels. We're going to turn the tide of history'.

Former nurse Christina Jordan claimed Remain-supporting MPs had been blocking Brexit and 'hysterical MPs call Brexiteers Nazi appeasers'

But it was the Brexit Party and its band of candidates formed just six weeks ago who were the biggest winners.

Annunziata Rees-Mogg, younger sister of Brexit hardliner Jacob was the Brexit Party's first star star candidate.

The 40-year-old married mother of one last appeared on the political stage in 2010 as the Tory candidate in Somerton and Froome, losing the Somerset seat to the Lib Dems by less than 2,000 votes.

She was once one of David Cameron's 'cuties' who refused party requests to 'de-toff' her name to Nancy.

But because she lives in Lincolnshire she was elected in the East Midlands overnight.

Ahead of the poll it was claimed David Cameron asked her to shorten her name to Nancy Mogg - but she refused and later claimed 'I think it's phoney to pretend to be someone you're not'.

Annunziata married former soldier Matthew Glanville in 2010 and they have a daughter, Isadora.

Ms Rees-Mogg, 40, and her brother Jacob, 49, are the youngest of five children born to Lord Rees-Mogg, who edited The Times from 1967 to 1981, and his wife Lady Gillian. They grew up together at the grand Ston Easton Park estate near Wells in Somerset, which has since been turned into a luxury hotel.

In the south-west Ann Widdecombe was the biggest name to win, but second on the list was veteran James Glancy.

James Glancy (pictured left today) is a retired Captain in the Royal Marines awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for fighting in Afghanistan in 2013 (right at Buckingham Palace)

Brexit Party wins Wales with Labour third In Wales, traditionally a Labour stronghold, the party was third with 127,000 votes, behind the Brexit Party with 271,000 and Plaid Cymru on 163,000. The Brexit Party won 33 per cent, almost a third of the vote in the country, which backed Leave in 2016. Nationalist party Plaid Cymru were second with 20 per cent. Labour, who run the Welsh Government and topped the EU poll there in 2014, were third with 15 per cent. The Lib Dems were fourth while the Conservatives just edged out the Greens to come fifth. UKIP, who came only narrowly behind Labour with 28 per cent under Mr Farage last time, gathered only three per cent of the vote this time around. The results mean the Brexit Party wins two out of four Welsh seats, Plaid one and Labour one. Labour's third-place finish is a humiliation for a party which usually dominates Welsh politics. It has come first in every Welsh Assembly election since the body was founded and holds the most Welsh seats at Westminster. In 2017 it won almost half of Wales's votes at the general election, winning half a million more votes than the nationalists they have now fallen behind. Advertisement

He was a Captain in the elite British Royal Marines and Special Boat Service, serving in three combat tours of Afghanistan.

In 2012, he was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross (CGC) for leadership and bravery on the frontline.

He is now a Director of a conservation charity, Veterans 4 Wildlife, where he focuses on the preservation of African wildlife and combating the global trade in shark fins.

James is currently a host on Discovery Channel's Shark Week and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He says Brexit has made Britain an international laughing stock.

Third on the list is Christina Johnson, a former NHS nurse turned community leader who is now an MEP.

She came to the UK from Malaysia in 1985 after starting her career as a secretary at Turkish Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

She completed her Registered General Nurse training at Winchester General Hospital and went on to work as a staff nurse.

Now she lives in Salisbury after a long career in nursing.

She said: 'I love this country. I want to stand up for the 17.4 million'.

Former Communist Party member Claire Fox turned Brexit Party candidate was elected in the the north-west, where Tommy Robinson lost his deposit.

Ms Fox said last night's results were a 'cry for freedom'.

She is a panelist on BBC Radio 4's The Moral Maze and is frequently invited to comment on developments in culture, education, media and free speech issues on TV and radio programmes in the UK such as Newsnight and Any Questions?

She said ahead of Thursday's vote: 'Don't get me wrong, I'm from the left. If you sat Nigel and I down, I am not going to agree with them on any range of questions. But the question now is whether we are going to let democracy be overturned'.

Martin Daubney, now a regular TV pundit but the former editor of 1990s 'lads' mag' Loaded, is the son of a Nottinghamshire coal miner and now a West Midlands MEP.

He won plaudits from voters after he said he believed the current Westminster politicians were 'clueless' about the 'real world' of ordinary people's lives and 'don't know what a day's work is'.

Battering for mainstream parties across Europe as Marine Le Pen calls for 'powerful' group of far-right parties to join forces in EU Parliament - and Greens also make gains

France's Marine Le Pen has called for a 'powerful' far-right group in the European Parliament after her party beat Emmanuel Macron's in this weekend's elections with more nationalist parties making huge gains across the continent.

Both populist far-right groups and left-wing environmentalists are securing considerable wins among the 751 European seats up for grabs, with the two biggest parties preparing to lose their majorities, despite coming out on top.

But the mainstream leaders say they will not co-operate with far-right groups who 'do not believe in the future of the European Union', in spite of their huge gains.

In the symbolic clash of the campaign, French far-right leader Le Pen's National Rally came in just ahead of President Macron's En Marche movement, damaging his drive for deeper European integration.

In Italy, Matteo Salvini's far-right League achieved a similar result, strengthening its role at the core of a vocal populist faction in the EU's legislature.

The advance of the right was less pronounced in Germany, where there was a strong showing by the Greens, but the anti-immigrant Alternative for Deutschland broke the 10 per cent barrier and will also gain seats.

Spain is the only major EU country where the Socialists dominated, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez celebrating his party getting the highest number of votes, a result he will likely use to wield more influence in the bloc.

Turnout across Europe was 50.5 per cent, a 20-year high and an eight per cent increase on last time Europe went to the polls in 2014. It represents a significant departure from the general trend of decreasing voter numbers in all 27 countries.

In France Marine Le Pen's National Rally bagged 24.9 per cent of the vote, coming ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's En Marche party with 21.5 per cent. The Greens managed 12.8 per cent

Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini beams and holds up a 'first place in Italy, thank you' sign at his home in Milan

Sanchez beams with acting Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Josep Borrell after their Socialist party dominated the result

Provisional European Elections results shown in Brussels show the EEP leading, with S&D second and Ald&R in third

The results will likely leave Parliament's two main parties, the European People's Party and the Socialists & Democrats, without a majority for the first time since 1979, opening the way for complicated talks to form a working coalition.

Manfred Weber, leader of the centre-right EPP group, said late on Sunday that 'from now on, those who want to have a strong European union have to join forces,' refusing to unite with any party that doesn't believe in the EU long-term.

Frans Timmermans, the Socialist and Democrats leader who is Weber's chief rival for the top job at the EU's executive commission, says he wants to work together with progressive parties 'to try and build a program that addresses the aspirations, the dreams, and also sometimes the fears of our fellow Europeans.'

The EEP group is forecast to win 178 seats and the S&D group will have 152 seats in the 751-seat parliament, according to EU projections.

France's Interior Ministry published results based on 81 per cent of the votes counted, placing Le Pen's party at 24.9 per cent and Macron's party at 21.5 per cent. Behind them were the Greens with 12.8 per cent.

The country's traditional parties, which were eviscerated by Marcon's presidential win in 2017, were far behind in Sunday's vote, with 8.3 per cent for The Republicans and six per cent per cent for the Socialist party.

Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, a major figure among the anti-migrant hard-line nationalists, declared a 'change in the air' and that a victory by his right-wing League party would 'change everything in Europe'.

He told supporters at his party headquarters in Milan early on Monday that the results mean'a new Europe is born'.

The Italian added: 'I will say to those who have sunk the European dream, transforming it into a nightmare, that I am proud that the League participated in this new rebirth of a sunken Europe.'

Germany's Carsten Meyer-Heder, of Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union Party (CDU) is pictured getting make-up done as exit polls in the EU's biggest country show his party facing the worst EU election result in its history with 28 per cent

The Greek Prine Minister Alexis Tsipras has called a snap General Election after his Syriza party was decimated in the polls

Spanish socialists are the only ones in Europe to dominate the polls in a victory for PM Pedro Sanchez and swing to the left in Madrid Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was the big winner of European elections in Spain on Sunday with his ruling Socialists coming first, a result he will likely use to wield more influence in the bloc. With Spain the only major EU country where the Socialists topped the polls, Sanchez has emerged as the big hope for European social democrats. Results for local and regional elections that took place on the same day were still being counted. If his Socialists also do well in those as predicted, Sanchez will be in a stronger position as he seeks to form a new government following a general election on April 28. With 98 per cent of the votes counted late on Sunday, the Socialists won 20 of the 54 seats allocated to Spain in the European Parliament. They were followed by the conservative Popular Party (PP) which won just over 20 per cent. Newly-emerged far-right party Vox, meanwhile, got just over six percent of the vote. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (pictured at a press conference in Madrid yesterday) was the big winner of European elections in Spain on Sunday with his ruling Socialists coming first, a result he will likely use to wield more influence in the bloc That's less than the 10 percent it won in the general election when it burst into the national parliament. The Socialists' win is a victory for Sanchez, not only on the domestic front but further afield in the bloc. On Friday, outgoing Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, whom Spain could push to become the next EU foreign policy chief, told supporters that Sanchez was going to 'lead the resurgence of social democracy in Europe'. Separately, Catalonia's former separatist president Carles Puigdemont, who fled Spain in 2017 after a failed secession bid, and his ex-deputy Oriol Junqueras, were elected to the European Parliament. Three Catalan separatists - one in jail and two more fugitives from Spanish justice - have won European Parliament seats. Former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont, his ex-No. 2 Oriol Junqueras and former Catalan Cabinet member Toni Comin all won seats for separatist parties in Sunday's EU vote. That's according to provisional results released by Spain's Interior Ministry with 85 per cent of the votes counted. Junqueras is in jail in Madrid while on trial on charges that include rebellion for his part in Catalonia's attempt to secede from the rest of Spain in 2017. Puigdemont and Comin are wanted in Spain after they fled to Belgium following Catalonia's failed secession bid. The three were allowed to run as candidates, but will face legal hurdles to actually take possession of their European Parliament seats. Is Madrid swinging to the left? On the domestic front, the results of local and regional elections may determine what Spain's new government looks like in what has been billed the 'second round' of the April general election. Sanchez had urged supporters to 'finish the work' of that election and turn out in force on Sunday. He hopes his party will perform well so he can opt for his preferred plan of forming a minority government with the support of other parties on a case-by-case basis when passing laws. But while Sanchez wants to rule alone, Pablo Iglesias, the leader of far-left party Podemos, is pushing him to form a coalition. Whether Sanchez accepts may depend on how both parties fare. The Socialists 'might need the support of Podemos to retain power in some regions, which Iglesias might use to pressure Sanchez into forming a coalition,' said Teneo analyst Antonio Barroso. But Iglesias' party is on the decline according to the most recent polls, and PSOE might enjoy a certain 'honeymoon effect' after its victory in the April legislative election. 'If the distance between the two parties widens after Sunday, Sanchez will be in an even stronger position to head a minority government.' Provisional results suggested the Socialists would win in many of the 12 regions going to the polls on Sunday. But all eyes are on the region of Madrid, which could swing left after being governed by the PP for 24 years. An exit poll by local television channel Telemadrid predicted that would be the case, with Socialist candidate Angel Gabilondo coming first. Votes are pictured being counted in at a polling station in Vitoria, Spain earlier on Sunday Advertisement

Voter projections showed the League won 33 per cent of the vote in Italy, up from just 6 per cent last time and at least 10 percentage points ahead of the Democratic Party in second place.

The League's coalition partners, the 5-Star Movement, suffered a blow, finishing third with just 19 per cent of the vote.

In Germany, the far-right Alternative For Deutschland (AfD) party improved on its 2014 result, with a projected 10.5 per cent of the vote. Meanwhile polls suggested the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party faced its worst result ever, with just 28 per cent.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras was forced to call a snap General Election after his Syriza party was decimated in the polls.

The Greek government's term expires in October and before last night's announcement, government officials insisted that elections would be held at the end of the term.

Tsipras said he will visit the Greek president to request the early dissolution of parliament after the second round of local and regional elections on June 2. This puts the election date at June 30 at the earliest.

Meanwhile caretaker Prime Minister Sanchez says Spain will lead the delegation of Socialists on the European stage after he got 20 of the 54 Spanish seats up for grabs.

He described it as a 'source of enormous pride and an enormous opportunity for us but also an enormous responsibility'.

Portuguese Prime Minister and Socialist Party General Secretary Antonio Costa beams as his Socialist party dominated the polls

Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (left) is pictured with Fine Gael candidate Frances Fitzgerald and (centre) and Alan Farrell (second right)

In Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (pictured centre), who has firm views on migration, celebrated securing 13 of the country's 21 seats, gaining one from the previous EU vote in 2014

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz pictured during a meeting after European Parliament elections at the Austrian People's Party on Sunday

In Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has an equally strict view on migration, celebrated securing 13 of the country's 21 seats, gaining one more on the previous EU vote.

He said the result shows that 'people in Hungary believe change is needed in Brussels' and he will 'cooperate with everyone who wants to stop immigration.'

But Orban did not directly address possibly joining up at EU level with like-minded far-right leaders such as Salvini.

Back in France Le Pen said the expected result 'confirms the new nationalist-globalist division' in France and beyond.

She immediately expressed hope the election could foreshadow her party's victory in France's 2022 presidential election. The former National Front leader was beaten handily by Macron in France's 2017 presidential vote.

In Portugal, the ruling centre-left Socialists, led by Prime Minister Antonio Costa, looked to have won their elections with a higher tally than their 2014 result of 31.46 per cent - bagging 32.5 per cent this time.

The Green Party was set to win as many as three of the 13 seats up for grabs in an overwhelmingly pro-EU Ireland, according to exit polls and early counting, putting the small Irish party in line to take its first seats in Europe for 20 years.

The governing Fine Gael and main opposition Fianna Fail were well placed while the left wing Sinn Fein appeared to be in a battle to retain all of their three seats.

Far-right anti-immigration party win Italian vote, as Matteo Salvini declares 'a change in Europe' Matteo Salvini's anti-migrant League party won the most votes in Sunday's European elections in Italy with 27-31 per cent, marking a historic success for the far-right, exit polls showed. Its coalition partner the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) was beaten by a resurgent centre-left Democratic Party (PD) which came second with 21-25 percent, the polls showed after voting ended at 2100 GMT. Luigi Di Maio's M5S garnered between 18.5-22.5 percent of votes, while tycoon and former premier Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia scored eight-12 percent. Salvini tweeted a photo of himself grinning and holding a sign saying 'top party in Italy' while standing in front of a bookshelf featuring, among other things, a religious icon and a Make America Great Again baseball cap. 'The League has probably become the top party in Italy,' the head of the party's Senate grouping Riccardo Molinari said after the exit polls were released. The result for the anti-migrant League was not as high as some had predicted but confirmed the party's stellar rise since forming a government in June last year. Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini (pictured casting his vote earlier on Sunday in Milan), a major figure among the anti-migrant hard-line nationalists, declared a 'change in the air' and that a victory by his right-wing League party would 'change everything in Europe' Some analysts predicted that Salvini would want to call snap elections if the League obtained a high score, although he denied this during campaigning. 'As far as I'm concerned, if the League wins nothing changes in Italy, everything will change in Europe, starting from tomorrow,' he said earlier Sunday. The March 2018 general election in the eurozone's third largest economy saw the League take home just 17 percent of the vote, while the M5S - which set itself up as the honest, environmentally-friendly alternative to a corrupt old political guard - pocketed over 32 per cent. Analysts said a strong League result - over 30 per cent - could see Salvini tempted to ditch the M5S for the far-right Brothers of Italy (which won five-seven percent on Sunday), or a fresh alliance with the party's historic partner, the centre-right Forza Italia. 'We don't intend to use this result to put the government in crisis,' the head of the League's Senate grouping Riccardo Molinari said, claiming that with M5S the governing coalition had more than 50 percent of votes. 'Our result gives us more strength to put our themes to the fore,' he said. Advertisement

Provisional results in Austria point to a big win for Chancellor Sebastian Kurz's centre-right party in the European Parliament election, days after a scandal involving the far-right Freedom Party brought down his governing coalition.

That is a big boost for Kurz before a national election expected in September. The early results show the Freedom Party finishing far behind in third place.

The projection also points to a comeback for the Greens, who lost their seats in Germany's national parliament in 2017.

A new pro-EU coalition linked to President-elect Zuzana Caputova has won the vote in Slovakia while a far-right party gained seats in the EU legislature for the first time.

According to the final results released by the Slovak Statistics Office, the coalition Progressive Slovakia/Together received 20.1 per cent of the vote, gaining four seats in the European legislature. Caputova was Progressive Slovakia deputy chairman before winning the March presidential election.

People's Party Our Slovakia, a far-right party, finished third with 12.1 per cent, winning two seats. But Slovakia's local ally of France's far-right National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen didn't win a seat.

In Slovenia, an anti-immigrant party has won the most votes - but less than allied moderate groups together.

The State Election Commission said Sunday that near-complete results showed that the Slovenian Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Janez Jansa - an ally of Hungary's hard-line Prime Minister Viktor Orban - has won 26.5 per cent of the vote.

The Social Democrats are second with 18.6 per cent while Prime Minister Marjan Sarec's party won 15.6 per cent. The two parties are part of Slovenia's current coalition government.

The right-wing Slovenian Democratic Party also won most votes at last year's parliamentary election in Slovenia but remained out of the government after moderate groups joined forces to form a coalition.

The opposition conservative New Slovenia party is fourth in the EU vote with 11.1 per cent.

Supporters of the New Democracy opposition party, which has made significant gains over the ruling Syriza watch the exit polls results in central Athens

Germany's anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD) leader Joerg Meuthen reacts to the first exit polls in Berlin, which showed his party making gains compared to 2014

Eurosceptic populists the Danish People's Party (DF) lost around two-third of their votes, a major setback for them ahead of their national elections on June 5.

Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen's Liberal Party overtook DF to become the biggest Danish party in the European Parliament; EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager's Social-Liberal Party also gained.

The Cypriot Democratic Rally, the country's ruling conservative party came first in Cyprus with 29 per cent of the vote.

Opposition Communist Akel came a close second with 27 per cent. Based on projected results, Cyprus was to get its first Turkish Cypriot MEP, academic Niyazi Kizilyurek, making history on the ethnically-split island.

In Romania there were big losses looming for the ruling Social Democrats (PSD), according to exit polls, which put them tying for first place with opposition centrists.

A new grouping of parties, USR-Plus, secured third place with 24 per cent of votes, opening up the prospect of a wider alliance pushing the PSD out of government next year.

Supporters of Marine Le Pen's National Rally party wave French flags after exit polls showed their party on top in France

The centrist party in the Czech Republic led by populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis won the most votes there despite the leader facing fraud charges involving the use of EU funds.

The Czech Statistics office says his ANO (YES) group has won 21.2 per cent percent of the Sunday vote or six seats - two more than in 2014 -of the 21 seats at stake in the Czech ballot. Babis wants his country to remain in the bloc but is calling for EU reforms.

Croatian election authorities have confirmed the ruling conservatives and opposition centre-left party have won an equal number of seats in the EU's newest member state.

With 99.8 per cent of the ballots counted, the results early on Monday showed the Croatian Democratic Union winning 22.7 per cent of the vote, followed by the centre-left Social Democratic Party with 18.7 per cent - or 4 seats each.

Initially, the ruling HDZ party was projected to win 5 seats, but missed out on the fifth by around 1,000 votes.

In the UK Nigel Farage and his Brexit Party are celebrating a historic victory with huge gains, crushing both the Tories and Labour after Theresa May's resignation and widespread Brexit chaos.

Before the results started coming in violence broke out in Brussels on Sunday when Yellow Vest protestors clashed with police outside the EU headquarters in the city.

Several hundred protesters wearing yellow vests marched in protest of social injustices in their home countries in Brussels while others sporting black hoods taunted authorities. Police on horseback patrolled the historic centre where several people were detained.