The Spectator

This week, the European parliament took a strong lurch to the left. That is not quite the story that you may have read elsewhere — with most headlines stating that Europe has taken a lurch to the right — but it is the inevitable conclusion if you analyse the results from Sunday’s election from the perspective of what most people in Britain understand to be the left-right divide. Take any political issue in Britain, from schools to public spending, and the left-wing position is generally taken to mean one of greater state intervention, greater command of the economy by government. The right-wing position is taken to mean one of smaller government, freer markets, less regulation.

Welcome to the Spectator's liveblog of the European elections results. We'll bring you results, analysis and political reaction throughout the night. Britain: Ukip has come first with 27 per cent of vote (so far), the Tories did reasonably (on 24 per cent, a whisker from Labour's 25.4 per cent) and Lib Dems are in free fall, losing 9 of their 12 MEPs. Scotland: UKIP has won its first Scottish seat, with a 10 per cent vote share. This has infuriated Alex Salmond whose SNP has seen its share of the vote fall slightly. Europe's populists triumph : Marine le Pen's Front Nationale came top in France, with a predicted 25 per cent share. The populist Danish People's Party, led by a 33-year-old, has come first there.

Ukip is celebrating after winning council seats from all three main parties across the country. Nigel Farage's party has already exceeded its target of 80 gains in the local elections. On a night of upsets, Labour took control of Tory flagship council Hammersmith and Fulham and the Conservatives took Kingston-upon-Thames. But Labour also failed to make gains in key target marginals such as Thurrock, Tamworth and Swindon, and the party's performance has been weaker than expected.