UKIP loses all of its MEPs following European election results

Ukip leader Gerard Batten said his position will be untenable if he loses his seat as an MEP in the European elections on Thursday. Picture: Sky News - Credit: Archant

UKIP has lost all of its MEPs in the European Parliament – five years after topping the polls.

The party saw a collapse in support after Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party topped the poll in England and Wales – gaining 28 MEPs.

UKIP’s leader Gerard Batten lost his seat in London – which he had held since 2004.

The party’s controversial candidate YouTuber Carl Benjamin, who was second on the party’s South West regional list, also failed to get elected.

Benjamin was condemned during the campaign for comments he made about Labour MP Jess Phillips.

The 39-year-old, who styles himself online as the “Sargon of Akkad”, said he “wouldn’t even rape” the Labour MP and then refused to apologise for the remarks.

In the 2014 EU elections, UKIP stormed into pole position with 28 MEPs, up 11 from 2009.

However, following a series of defections, the party went into this year’s elections defending only three of the seats it had won five years ago.