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https://www.ft.com/content/efb65b60-8000-11e9-9935-ad75bb96c849

Brexit party poised for victory as voters flee Tories and Labour

Lib Dem vote surges in some regions as support for two main parties collapses

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https://www.ft.com/content/efb65b60-8000-11e9-9935-ad75bb96c849

Nigel Farage’s newly formed Brexit party is on course for victory in the European Parliament elections in the UK, sidelining the Conservatives and Labour in an indication that Brexit uncertainty is taking its toll on both main UK parties.Early results indicated that the Brexit party would come out on top nationally, with the pro-European Liberal Democrats following in second place, while the Conservative party was on course to finish fifth behind Labour and the Greens. The Brexit party scored a resounding success in north-east England, winning two of the three MEP seats in the region. The party has seen three MEPs elected in the east of England, while the Lib Dems secured two seats and the Greens and Conservatives each scored one seat. The Lib Dems won the biggest share of the vote in London, electing three MEPs, while Labour and the Brexit party each garnered two seats.

https://www.ft.com/content/efb65b60-8000-11e9-9935-ad75bb96c849

After winning election as an MEP in the south-east region, Mr Farage said: “Never before in British politics has a new party launched just six weeks ago topped the polls in 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.“If we don’t leave on October 31 then the scores you have seen for the Brexit party today will be repeated in a general election, and we are getting ready for it.”Early indications suggested that the Conservatives had taken a hammering as voters turned to Mr Farage’s new party to protest at Theresa May’s failure to secure the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The prime minister’s inability to see her deal through culminated in the announcement of her resignation on Friday. Nick Boles, a former Tory MP who resigned from the party after his attempts to reach a Brexit compromise failed, fired a warning shot to his former colleagues.More on the 2019 European elections