The North West’s Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies said that he was content but not ecstatic with his party’s performance in the European elections after the results for the North West were announced on Sunday.
The Conservatives took three seats, Labour two and the UK Independence Party, Liberal Democrats and British National Party one each in the North West.
“I would have liked to have seen my party sweep the board, but we had 11 Liberal Democrat MEPs when I left Brussels and I return to a group of exactly the same size,” commented Chris Davies. “We did not lose a single seat.
“In the North West we topped the poll in Stockport, South Lakeland, and Burnley, while the detailed results show that we are on target to make gains in the region at the general election, whenever it is held.
“It was the most frustrating election campaign I have ever known,” Chris continued. “On no occasion did anyone in the media ask me about the work I actually do in the European Parliament. Democracy has not been well served by the concentration on Gordon Brown and Westminster expenses, and I doubt if anyone knows more about the issues facing the European Union at the end of the campaign than they did before it started.”
Commenting on Nick Griffin’s win, Davies said he was “sorry” that the British National Party won a seat, “but I take heart from the fact that 92% of those who voted in the North West rejected its policies of racial division.
“There will be a lot of good people who wanted to make a gesture of protest so did not bother to vote. As a result they woke up today to find they had a BNP representative, and I hope they are kicking themselves.
“In the European Parliament the BNP will join a small group of racists and hate-filled extremists from other countries,” Davies continued. “The vast majority of MEPs know from Europe’s history that their ideas lead only to death, destruction and misery, and are determined to ensure that it never happens again.”
The BBC reported that during his post-election speech Mr Griffin said the BNP was not racist, but won votes because it “spoke openly about the problem of immigration.”
Labour’s Harriet Harman described the result as “terrible” while Tory leader David Cameron said he was “sickened”.