The eurosceptic UK Independence Party (UKIP) of Nigel Farage topped the poll in European elections in Britain, ratcheting up the debate on British membership of the EU.
Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday the outcome showed voters' "deep disillusionment" with the European Union and proved he was right to pledge to put Britain's membership to a referendum.
UKIP -- which wants Britain to pull out of the EU -- won 27.5 percent of the vote and 23 seats, leaving the main opposition Labour Party second on 25 percent and Cameron's Conservatives pushed into third on just short of 24 percent. Both parties had 18 MEPs.
It was a disastrous night for the pro-EU Liberal Democrats, the national coalition partners who were reduced to a single seat, two fewer than the Green Party.
With only the results in Scotland and Northern Ireland still to be declared, UKIP looked set to became the first party other than the Conservatives and Labour to win a British national election for more than a century.
Farage hailed "the most extraordinary result in British politics for 100 years" and said his "dream has become a reality".
UKIP, a party which does not have a single seat in its own national parliament, even picked up a European seat in Scotland, where it has no tradition of support.
"We're going to get a good number of eurosceptics elected to the European Parliament," Farage said. "It's going to make a very big difference in the domestic politics.
"Up until now, European integration... always seemed to be inevitable and I think that inevitability will end with this result tonight.
"I promise you this, you haven't heard the last of us," he said.
- A seat in Westminster? -
UKIP will now try to capitalise on its success in the European vote and a strong showing in local council elections last week by targeting a first Westminster seat in a by-election in Newark, central England, on June 5.
While UKIP benefited from the system of proportional representation used in the European vote, Britain's first-past-the-post system for general elections counts against it.
Cameron said the outcome showed the importance of his promise to re-negotiate the terms of Britain's EU membership and then put the deal to an in-out referendum if he wins the general election in May 2015.
"People are deeply disillusioned with the European Union," the prime minister told BBC radio.
"They do not think the current relationships are working well enough for Britain.
"They want change and as far as I am concerned that message is completely received and understood."
But Cameron rebuffed calls from some of his backbenchers to form an electoral pact with UKIP for the general election.
"We don't do pacts and deals. Conservative candidates will stand as Conservatives, fight as Conservatives and I hope win as Conservatives," he said.
Many analysts pointed to a result that showed Labour's once double-digit lead over the Conservatives has evaporated.
The Lib Dems meanwhile were left to survey the wreckage -- Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg's party has traditionally performed more strongly in European elections than in national votes.
The Lib Dems' president Tim Farron insisted he did not regret his party's pro-European stance, saying "it looks like we may have paid the price but I would do it all again."
The swing hard to the right in Europe, especially for France's National Front, failed to benefit the far-right British National Party (BNP) whose leader Nick Griffin lost his seat in north west England.
Official figures showed British turnout at 34.2 percent.
The eurosceptic UK Independence Party (UKIP) of Nigel Farage topped the poll in European elections in Britain, ratcheting up the debate on British membership of the EU.
Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday the outcome showed voters’ “deep disillusionment” with the European Union and proved he was right to pledge to put Britain’s membership to a referendum.
UKIP — which wants Britain to pull out of the EU — won 27.5 percent of the vote and 23 seats, leaving the main opposition Labour Party second on 25 percent and Cameron’s Conservatives pushed into third on just short of 24 percent. Both parties had 18 MEPs.
It was a disastrous night for the pro-EU Liberal Democrats, the national coalition partners who were reduced to a single seat, two fewer than the Green Party.
With only the results in Scotland and Northern Ireland still to be declared, UKIP looked set to became the first party other than the Conservatives and Labour to win a British national election for more than a century.
Farage hailed “the most extraordinary result in British politics for 100 years” and said his “dream has become a reality”.
UKIP, a party which does not have a single seat in its own national parliament, even picked up a European seat in Scotland, where it has no tradition of support.
“We’re going to get a good number of eurosceptics elected to the European Parliament,” Farage said. “It’s going to make a very big difference in the domestic politics.
“Up until now, European integration… always seemed to be inevitable and I think that inevitability will end with this result tonight.
“I promise you this, you haven’t heard the last of us,” he said.
– A seat in Westminster? –
UKIP will now try to capitalise on its success in the European vote and a strong showing in local council elections last week by targeting a first Westminster seat in a by-election in Newark, central England, on June 5.
While UKIP benefited from the system of proportional representation used in the European vote, Britain’s first-past-the-post system for general elections counts against it.
Cameron said the outcome showed the importance of his promise to re-negotiate the terms of Britain’s EU membership and then put the deal to an in-out referendum if he wins the general election in May 2015.
“People are deeply disillusioned with the European Union,” the prime minister told BBC radio.
“They do not think the current relationships are working well enough for Britain.
“They want change and as far as I am concerned that message is completely received and understood.”
But Cameron rebuffed calls from some of his backbenchers to form an electoral pact with UKIP for the general election.
“We don’t do pacts and deals. Conservative candidates will stand as Conservatives, fight as Conservatives and I hope win as Conservatives,” he said.
Many analysts pointed to a result that showed Labour’s once double-digit lead over the Conservatives has evaporated.
The Lib Dems meanwhile were left to survey the wreckage — Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s party has traditionally performed more strongly in European elections than in national votes.
The Lib Dems’ president Tim Farron insisted he did not regret his party’s pro-European stance, saying “it looks like we may have paid the price but I would do it all again.”
The swing hard to the right in Europe, especially for France’s National Front, failed to benefit the far-right British National Party (BNP) whose leader Nick Griffin lost his seat in north west England.
Official figures showed British turnout at 34.2 percent.
