UKIP secures northern foothold (From Gazette & Herald)

UKIP secures northern foothold

LABOUR and the Tories are licking their wounds after suffering blows as the UK Independence Party secured a local foothold in the European Parliament.

UKIP supporters were celebrating as the Eurosceptic party gained its first seat in Yorkshire and Humber - a trend echoed across the country.

Yorkshire voters elected two Labour MEPs, two Tories, one Liberal Democrat and one UKIP candidate.

Labour and Conservatives both lost a seat, due to UKIP doubling its vote, and because the region lost a seat after recent European enlargement.

Overall, Labour polled 26pc of the regional vote, the Conservatives 24, and the Lib Dems 15, with UKIP clinching fourth with 14. The far right British National Party polled 8pc.

Regional MEPs elected under proportional representation were Labour's Linda McAvan and Richard Corbett, Conservatives Timothy Kirkhope and Edward McMillan-Scott, Lib Dem Diana Wallis, and Godfrey Bloom, of UKIP.

Ryedale saw 18,376 vote as the Tories polled 7,900, UKIP 2,995, Lib Dems 2,881 and Labour 2,266.

Labour MPs said the result was a warning to the Government, currently facing a voter backlash over Iraq.

York MP Hugh Bayley said: "The vote is a sharp warning to the Government to re-engage with voters on things that really matter - jobs, health and education."

Selby MP John Grogan admitted: "This is definitely a poor result for Labour. It's obviously a message to the Government."

York Lib Dem councillor Andrew Waller said despite finishing third in York it was a good vote for the party, with Lib Dems up 3pc and Tories down 12pc on 1999. He denied the party suffered a protest vote as a reaction to unpopular council policies.

Coun Waller warned that pulling out of Europe would cost York thousands of manufacturing jobs.

Chairman of the Ryedale branch of the UK Independence Party. Stephen Feaster, said: "The stunning result of coming second in the EU elections in Ryedale and the tremendous support across the whole of Yorkshire and Humber enabled our lead candidate, Godfrey Bloom, to become a MEP. This will allow us to further our cause for less government and interference in our lives."

Speaking at the poll, new UKIP MEP Mr Bloom, based in Wressle, near Selby, said 250,000 people nationwide had rejected the EU. "It's time the mainstream parties started to get the message," he told crowds at Saturday night's count in Leeds.

Despite controversy surrounding the trial postal vote in Yorkshire and Humberside, turnout doubled from nearly 20pc in 1999 to 42pc this year.

Updated: 12:43 Wednesday, June 16, 2004