UKIP tops Euro poll in West Midlands

[dutchman]

The UK Independence Party has topped the poll in the West Midlands European Parliament elections with 428,010 votes.



UUKIP will have three MEPs, up one on 2009, Labour two, and the Conservatives two.

Labour got the second highest number of votes with 363,033.

The West Midlands' only Lib Dem MEP, Phil Bennion, lost his seat, along with two MEPs who left UKIP after the last election to set up their own parties.

UKIP's MEPs are Jill Seymour, Jim Carver and Bill Etheridge.

Newly-elected Mr Carver claimed a "wind of change" was being felt throughout Europe,

He said: "Not since the end of the 1800s when Keir Hardie's Labour movement started have the British people been so ready for a completely different political message."

The new Labour MEPs are Neena Gill and Sion Simon.

Ms Gill said: "Of course we would have liked to have been first, of course we would have liked three MEPs, but the electorate have spoken."

The Conservative MEPs are Philip Bradbourn and Anthea McIntyre.

Mrs McIntyre said she was "pleased with the way the Conservative vote stood up", despite losing one of their MEPs.

Mr Bennion has not yet commented on his defeat.