The Southwest reflected the general opinion of the UK last night in the result of the European elections: a loss for labour and conservative votes, and a gain for the liberal democrats and UKIP.
In the Southwest, the only change in MEPs was the loss of a conservative seat (A Stockton) in the European Parliament, and a gain of a UKIP seat.
The Southwest now has the following representatives: 3 Conservative (G Chichester, C Jackson, N Parish) 2 UK Independance Party (G Booth, R Knapman) 1 Liberal Democrat (G Watson) 1 Labour (G Ford)
The votes are done on a proportional representation basis for the European Parliament, as opposed to one person winning a seat in a particular ward, as in the UK general elections.
The Southwest region includes the mainland between Glostershire and Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and Gibraltar.
There will be several factors triggering the change in public opinion:
- UKIP votes increasing due to greater scepticism of European policies. Votes probably coming from ex-Conservative voters wanting a more hard-line stance on Europe. The appearance of Kilroy-Silk also raises the profile of the party.
- Labour votes moving to Liberal Democrat. The two parties are pro-Europe, the Lib Dems being more keen - the only party that promotes joining the Euro. The move may come from the loss of support for Tony Blair, who is even loosing support within his own party.
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