Having observed Labour in the European Parliament over the last 5 years, frankly their work is damaging to the North East and to the United Kingdom. I watch as they applaud the European Commission whenever they act tough with the UK in negotiations. I watch as they parrot Commission lines against the United Kingdom.
I hope and trust that Brian Monteith and John Tennant will do an excellent job. They already have: they have halved Labour's representation here. That alone is a huge boost.
Now, a few comments on this election result:
1. The Brexit Party took more than *double* the Labour vote in the North East. It's not a win. It's a landslide.
2. Remain areas had higher turnout than Leave areas. We *still* got the landslide.
3. With a projected 29 seats, it's looking likely that the Brexit Party will be the largest delegation from any nation in the European Parliament.
4. This is the worst Conservative result at a national election ever.
5. This is the worst Labour result at a national election ever.
6. Across the country, the Brexit Party vote exceeds the Labour and Conservative votes combined.
7. Much is made of the Lib Dem and Green surges. Of course, some people voted Lib Dem and Green for non-EU-related reasons - whereas everyone voting for the Brexit Party was voting for, um, Brexit. However, the Brexit Party still took more votes than the Liberal Democrats and Greens combined.
8. The Brexit party won in Wales by a very comfortable margin, taking 2 of the 4 seats. A reminder that Wales voted Leave in the referendum. When Brexit is badly described as an English phenomenon, don't forget that it is a Welsh one too.
9. The Brexit Party won even in big cities where the demographics are not traditionally favourable: it won in Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford and Newcastle.
10. UKIP didn't damage the Brexit Party quite as much as might have been feared. Whilst UKIP won 0 seats itself, it 'only' cost the Brexit Party a couple of seats nationally.
11. Change UK finished in 8th place nationally; not worth further comment.
12. The fact that the Conservatives did so badly, polling in single-digits in percentage terms, should concentrate their minds when it comes to the leadership election.
13. The Brexit Party won in Peterborough with over 38% of the vote. The second-placed party was Labour with 17.2%. This is interesting because there's a Parliamentary by-election in Peterborough a week on Thursday, which the Brexit Party are odds-on favourites to win.
14. Five times now (European elections 2014, General Election 2015, EU referendum 2016, General Election 2017, European elections 2019) people have voted either for Brexit or to have the referendum mandating Brexit.
We've now voted five times to Leave. Bizarrely, some are responding to this by demanding a further vote.
We've voted 5 times already. Don't make us vote a 6th time.
