4% Swing to Tories in European Elections

Greens gain, Labour and LibDems lose in H&F

After last Thursday's European Parliament elections, the Conservative Party were the clear winners in Hammersmith and Fulham, gaining 15,305 votes - 37.6% of the total vote of 40,750. Compared to the last European Elections in 2004, that represented a swing of 4%.

The Tories gained at the expense of Labour, who were down 4.4% to gain 8,014 votes, and the Liberal Democrats, who received 5,085 votes - a loss of 2% compared with 2004.

The UK Independence Party (UKIP) were also losers in our borough, winning 2,892 votes, 7.1% of the total number of votes cast and 2% less than in the previous election.

The Green Party, however fared better, winning 4,855 votes - a gain of 1.8%.

1,179, or 2.9% of those who voted locally, chose the British National Party, up by just 0.3% on 2004.

European Parliament - Hammersmith and Fulham Borough, June 2009

Despite the huge changes to the political landscape seen elsewhere in the country, in the capital as a whole, there was no change in the number of seats won by the various parties. Out of the eight seats for the European Parliament's London constituency, the Conservatives won 3, Labour 2, the LibDems 1, the Green Party 1 and UKIP 1.

London-wide, the Conservatives got 27.4% of the overall vote, up by just 0.6%. The other two main parties saw their votes fall with Labour down by 3.5%

Big gainers were the Green Party who pipped UKIP to fourth place and contrary to the trend seen elsewhere in the country, UKIP saw their vote fall in London.

Turnout was 1,751,026 from an electorate of 5,257,624 which is almost exactly a third. This is an historical low but better than some were predicting.

Each London MEP represents the whole of the capital. The eight newly elected MEPs are: Conservatives: Charles Tannock, Syed Kamall and Marina Yannakoudakis; Labour: Claude Moraes and Mary Honeyball; Liberal Democrats: Sarah Ludford; Green Party: Jean Lambert; UK Independence Party: Gerard Batten.

June 8, 2009