FURIOUS scenes greeted the far-right BNP’s European election victory after a night of drama at Manchester town hall.

Party leader Nick Griffin – who has a conviction for publishing material likely to incite racial hatred – will now represent the north west of England, including Greater Manchester, in Brussels.

Newly-elected Euro-MPs from all the mainstream parties walked off the stage in protest as Griffin began his victory speech.

Sir Robert Atkins, the Conservatives’ top candidate, described the BNP as an ‘aberration’.

Tony Lloyd, MP for Manchester Central, described the result as a 'moment of shame’ for the region.

The BNP won the last of eight seats in the north west by around 5,000 votes, ahead of the Greens.

It came fifth in the north west elections with 132,094 votes meaning the party gained their second seat of the night.

His victory came after the party won its first seat when Andrew Brons received  120,139 votes in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Earlier hundreds gathered outside the town hall under the Unite Against Racism banner ahead of the candidates arriving for the declaration.

Euro election results night - as it happened
Placard waving campaigners manned the entrance to the Town Hall to greet the MP delegates.

And when the BNP leader arrived in a gold people carrier vehicle they stormed forward preventing him from getting out.


The BNP is not a normal political party and they should not be treated as such
Paul Jenkins

Earlier speakers told crowds to the strains of the Bob Marley hit One Love that a vote for the BNP was a vote for ‘racism and ignorance’.

The BNP wins came as the party appeared to attract significant numbers of disaffected Labour voters.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham, a North West MP, said the result was a “sad moment for British politics”.

He said: “It is deeply uncomfortable to see the BNP polling in the numbers they have.

“Whatever the country’s problems the BNP are never the answer.

“The BNP is the ultimate protest vote, a two fingered vote and largely a comment on Westminster politics.

“I think the BNP have got very clever in hiding their racist beliefs.”

Aberration

Tory MEP Sir Robert Atkins described the BNP as an ‘aberration’.

Speaking after his re-election, Sir Robert said: “We have today an aberration which many right-thinking people in this country and in this region will be appalled by.

“I know that my colleagues in the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats will join with me in regretting what has happened tonight.

“I can promise on behalf of the sensible parties represented tonight that we will fight the battle for regional and British interests.

“I am sad that a triumph has been tarnished by the election of someone who we do not approve of.”

Re-elected Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy added: “I am sad that democracy has thrown up the aberration of the BNP. It is a party of prejudice and intolerance.”

Lib Dem MEP Chris Davies, speaking after his re-election, said: “Ninety-two per cent of the people of the north west have rejected a party which promotes policies of racial hatred.

“It says something about us as individuals. We can try to justify it as a protest vote but I do not think that the BNP hides its racist views and clearly some people sympathise with that.”

Sad

Sir Richard Leese, Labour leader of Manchester City Council said: “It is a very sad day for the north west.

“I think it shows the flaws in a system that allows them to get a seat with such a small share of the vote.

“All of us who care about this country, care about our way of life here, care about democracy, will spend the next five years working to make sure the fascists are not returned.”

But Mr Griffin said he was “absolutely delighted”.

“It will be a huge change in British politics,” he said.

“The most demonised and lied about party in British politics has made a massive breakthrough tonight.

“The public have had their say in a democratic election and we should respect that.”

The European elections use a method of proportional representation used in elections to the European Election is called the d’Hondt system.

The voter votes for a candidate, personally, but the vote is principally counted as a vote for the candidate’s party.

The basic idea is that a party’s total vote total is divided by a certain figure which increases as it wins more seats.

The party with the highest vote gets one seat allotted in the first round. Its vote is then divided by two. The party with the highest vote in the second round then wins a seat and its vote is divided by two.

If a party which has already won a seat wins another round then its percentage vote is divided by the number of seats it has won plus one.

This continues until all the seats are allocated.

The elected MEPs are: Sir Robert Atkins (Con), Arlene McCarthy (Lab), Paul Nuttall (UKIP), Chris Davies (Lib Dem), Saj Karim (Con), Brian Simpson (Lab), Jacqueline Foster (Con), Nick Griffin (BNP).

Euro election results night - as it happened

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