1999 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom

Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox election Template:United Kingdom in the European Union The 1999 European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's part of the European Parliament election 1999. It was held on 10 June 1999. Following the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999, it was the first European election to be held in the United Kingdom where the whole country used a system of proportional representation. In total, 87 Members of the European Parliament were elected from the United Kingdom across twelve new regional constituencies.

The change in voting system resulted in significant changes in seats. The Conservatives won double the number of seats they had won in the previous European election, in 1994, while the Labour Party saw its seats reduced from 62 to 29. The Liberal Democrats saw their number of seats increase to 10 from just 2 in the previous election. The UK Independence Party (UKIP), Green Party and Plaid Cymru gained their first seats in the European Parliament.

A by-election to the British Parliament also took place on the same day in the Leeds Central constituency - Labour held the seat but with significantly reduced turnout.

The House of Commons Library calculated notional seat changes based on what the result would have been if the 1994 European elections had been held under proportional representation.<ref name="parliament1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The notional results and seat changes are shown in the results box for this article.

It was the first European Parliament election to be held since the 1997 general election which resulted in a change of government from Conservative to Labour.

Turnout was 24%, the lowest of any member state in the 1999 election where the EU average was 49.51%. It was also the lowest of any European election in the United Kingdom, and the lowest of any member state until the 2009 election and to date is the lowest turnout for any national election in the history of the United Kingdom.<ref name="Turnout-EP" />

Background

Electoral system

The European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999 introduced a closed-list party list system method of proportional representation, calculated using the D'Hondt method into Great Britain. In Northern Ireland, the Single Transferable Vote, which is also a form of proportional representation, which had been used since the first European election in 1979 was retained. The Act also created twelve new electoral regions, which were based on the British government's nine administrative Regions of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The effect of the introduction of proportional representation was that many small parties won seats to the European Parliament for the first time.

Results

United Kingdom

Map showing most popular party by counting area.

The Conservatives doubled the number of seats from the last European election. Labour saw their 62 seats reduced to just 29. It was the first European Parliament election to be held since the change of United Kingdom government from Conservative to Labour two years earlier. The Liberal Democrats saw their number of seats increase to 10 from just 2 in the previous election. The UK Independence Party, Green Party and Plaid Cymru won their first seats in the European Parliament.

These changes were largely due to the move to proportional representation from first-past-the-post.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The House of Commons Library calculated that if the 1994 European elections had been held under proportional representation, Labour would have won 43 MEPs, the Conservatives 26, the Lib Dems 11, the SNP 3 and Plaid Cymru 1.<ref name="parliament1"/>

Party		Votes won	% of vote	Change	Seats	% of seats	Loss/Gain vs actual '94 result	Loss/Gain vs notional '94 result
Template:Party name with colour	3,578,218	33.5	Template:Increase6.5	36	41.4	Template:Increase18	Template:Increase10
Template:Party name with colour	2,803,821	26.3	Template:Decrease16.4	29	33.3	Template:Decrease33	Template:Decrease14
Template:Party name with colour	1,266,549	11.9	Template:Decrease4.3	10	11.9	Template:Increase8	Template:Decrease1
Template:Party name with colour	696,057	6.5	Template:Increase5.6	3	3.4	Template:Increase3	Template:Increase3
Template:Party name with colour	568,236	5.3	Template:Increase2.3	2	2.4	Template:Increase2	Template:Increase2
Template:Party name with colour	268,528	2.5	Template:Decrease0.6	2	2.3	Template:Nochange	Template:Decrease1
Template:Party name with colour	192,762	1.8	Template:Increase0.8	1	1.1	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	190,731	1.8	Template:Increase0.8	1	1.1	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	185,235	1.7	Template:Increase0.7	2	2.3	Template:Increase2	Template:Increase1
Template:Party name with colour	138,097	1.3	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	119,507	1.1	Template:Increase0.3	1	1.1	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	117,643	1.1	Template:Increase0.8	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	102,647	1.0	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	93,051	0.9	Template:Increase0.3	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	86,749	0.8	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	57,142	0.5	Template:Increase0.4	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	39,720	0.4	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	22,494	0.2	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	21,327	0.2	Template:Decrease0.4	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	20,283	0.2	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	14,391	0.1	Template:Nochange	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	7,203	0.1	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	2,586	0.0	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
	Weekly Worker	1,724	0.0	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	1,510	0.0	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
	Others	84,872	0.8		0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Total		10,681,083			87	100
Source: BBC News,<ref name="Euro Elections, Results – Great Britain and Northern Ireland">Template:Cite news</ref> UK Parliament Briefing<ref name="parliament1"/>

Great Britain

Summary of the election results for Great Britain

Party		Votes won	% of vote	Loss/Gain	Seats	% of seats	Loss/Gain vs actual '94 result	Loss/Gain vs notional '94 result
Template:Party name with colour	3,578,218	35.8	Template:Increase7.9	36	42.9	Template:Increase18
Template:Party name with colour	2,803,821	28.0	Template:Decrease16.1	29	34.5	Template:Decrease33
Template:Party name with colour	1,266,549	12.7	Template:Decrease4.1	10	11.9	Template:Increase8
Template:Party name with colour	696,057	7.0	Template:Increase6.0	3	3.6	Template:Increase3	Template:Increase3
Template:Party name with colour	568,236	6.3	Template:Increase2.6	2	2.4	Template:Increase2	Template:Increase2
Template:Party name with colour	268,528	2.7	Template:Decrease0.5	2	2.4	Template:Nochange	Template:Decrease1
Template:Party name with colour	185,235	1.9	Template:Increase0.8	2	2.4	Template:Increase2	Template:Increase1
Template:Party name with colour	138,097	1.4	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	102,647	1.0	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	93,051	0.9	Template:Increase0.3	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	86,749	0.9	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	57,142	0.6	Template:Increase0.4	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	39,720	0.4	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	20,329	0.4	Template:Decrease0.2	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	7,203	0.1	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	2,586	0.0	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
	Weekly Worker	1,724	0.0	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Template:Party name with colour	1,510	0.1	New	0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
	Others	84,872	0.8		0	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange	Template:Nochange
Total		10,002,273			84	100
Source: BBC News,<ref name="Euro Elections, Results – Great Britain and Northern Ireland"/> UK Parliament Briefing<ref name="parliament1"/>

Northern Ireland

Summary of the election results for Northern Ireland<ref name="Euro Elections, Results – Great Britain and Northern Ireland"/>

European Parliament election 1999: Northern Ireland<ref>The 1999 European Election, Northern Ireland Elections</ref>
Party		Candidate(s)	Seats	Loss/Gain	First Preference Votes
					Number	% of vote
Template:Party name with colour	Ian Paisley	1	0	192,762	28.4
Template:Party name with colour	John Hume	1	0	190,731	28.1
Template:Party name with colour	Jim Nicholson	1	0	119,507	17.6
Template:Party name with colour	Mitchel McLaughlin	0	0	117,643	17.3
Template:Party name with colour	David Ervine	0	0	22,494	3.3
Template:Party name with colour	Robert McCartney	0	0	20,283	3.0
Template:Party name with colour	Seán Neeson	0	0	14,391	2.1
Template:Party name with colour	James Anderson	0	0	998	0.2
Turnout					678,809

MEPs defeated

Labour

• Angela Billingham (East Midlands)
• Sue Waddington (East Midlands)
• Veronica Hardstaff (East Midlands)
• Clive Needle (East of England)
• Peter Truscott (East of England)
• David Thomas (East of England)
• Carole Tongue (London)
• Shaun Spiers (London)
• Mary Honeyball (London)
• Michael Elliot (London)
• Dr Gordon Adam (North East)
• Tony Cunningham (North West)
• Mark Hendrick (North West)
• Hugh McMahon (Scotland)
• Anita Pollack (South East England)
• Ian White (South West England)
• Joe Wilson (Wales)
• David Morris (Wales)
• Michael Tappin (West Midlands)
• David Hallam (West Midlands)
• Roger Barton (Yorkshire and the Humber)
• Barry Seal (Yorkshire and the Humber)

Liberal Democrat

• Robin Teverson (South West England)

Conservative

• Edward Kellett-Bowman (South East England)
• Bryan Cassidy (South West England)

Pro-Euro Conservative Party

• John Stevens, former Conservative MEP (South East England)
• Brendan Donnelly, former Conservative MEP (West Midlands)

Independent Labour

• Christine Oddy, former Labour MEP (West Midlands)

Scottish Socialist Party

• Hugh Kerr, former Labour MEP (Essex West and Hertfordshire East)

Leeds Left Alliance

• Ken Coates, former Labour MEP (East Midlands)

Aftermath

Labour's results brought about a debate within the party about the introduction of proportional representation. In September 1998, a poll of 150 MPs had found that 58% backed the introduction of proportional representation. A follow-up poll ran on the Sunday after the election found that this had decreased to 43%, with the majority wanting a return to the first-past-the-post system.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It has also been argued, however, that the introduction of proportional representation actually reduced Labour's losses, as first-past-the-post is more sensitive to swings in public opinion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

• Elections in the United Kingdom: European elections
• List of members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom (1999–2004)
• Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom 1999–2004 by region

External links

• Breakdown of results by Region
• House of Commons Research Paper 99/64 "Elections to the European Parliament – June 1999"