Labour slam Tories despite receiving worst vote since 1918

Despite putting in its worst electoral performance since 1918, the Labour Party has claimed that the European elections represented a "disaster for the Tories".

The Tories achieved a 27.4% share of the vote and 25 seats in the European Parliament – they also attracted 36% of the local election voters. Labour won 17 MEPs seats with 22.3% of the vote.

Labour Party chair and Minister without Portfolio, Ian McCartney, said that the Tories had failed to achieve the electoral breakthrough which could propel them to victory at the next general election.

Around 42% was widely considered to be the level of support which could carry the Tories into a success general election campaign.

Mr McCartney warned that the Tories would come under increasing pressure from the UK Independence Party – who captured third place with 17%.

"UKIP now present the Tories with a critical choice. Will they attempt to placate UKIP - which is what many inside the Tory Party are already plotting to do - or will they decide to be a mainstream political party standing up for Britain's interests in Europe?" he said.

However, the Tories have hit back at Labour, saying that the electoral results had undermined Tony Blair's "moral authority" to guide Britain's relationship with Europe.

Party co-chairman Dr Fox said: "The Conservatives won these elections, just as we won the local election and the Greater London Assembly elections. We got the highest share of the vote and have the most MEPs."

Dismissing Labour's performance as "the worst for a governing party in British electoral history", Dr Fox said: "The results clearly show that Mr Blair does not have the moral authority to sign a European Constitution. We share voters' opposition to further European integration. We will campaign vigorously against the Constitution and argue the case for the return of powers from Brussels to Britain."

Elsewhere, Ken Livingstone has been re-elected as mayor of London, seeing off the challenge of Tory candidate Steve Norris, and Simon Hughes of the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Livingstone won 828,380 of the combined first and second preference votes, beating Norris, who got 676,178 votes.

Speaking after the result, he said he would "leave London more beautiful" than he found it.

The Conservative co-chairman Dr Liam Fox said that, while Mr Livingstone received London's endorsement, the size of Mr Norris' vote showed that people were becoming disillusioned with Labour.

“Steve Norris fought a good campaign and put crime firmly on the agenda in London. The final result is closer than many expected at the start of the campaign," he said.

“This confirms the trend of the whole day which shows public disillusionment with Labour, and makes it clear that the Conservative Party is on the way back in urban areas.”

(gmcg)