ELECTION: Highland voters give their verdict in European elections as Dingwall hosts count
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A COUNT held in Dingwall last night for the European Parliamentary election has offered a local insight into the political turmoil witnessed across the country and confirmed deeply polarised positions over Brexit.
In Scotland, the SNP is set to increase its number of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) after a resounding victory, taking an estimated 38 per cent of the vote ahead of the Brexit Party on around 14.9 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 13.9 per cent.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the "historic" victory meant Scotland had "rejected Brexit again".
The final results have yet to be officially declared.
The UK is electing 73 MEPs from across 12 regions. The Brexit Party have 28 MEPs winning 32 per cent of the vote and are largest party in nine regions. In Scotland the SNP is forecast to return three MEPs, the Brexit Party one, the Lib Dems one and Conservatives one.
The vote comes almost two months after the UK was supposed to have left the EU and amidst a fresh battle for leadership of the Conservative Party at Westminster.
Across the UK as a whole,the Brexit Party was the clear winner with the pro-EU Liberal Democrats coming second. There was a collapse in the vote for Labour and the Conservatives with the Greens also enjoying a surge.
The count for the Highland Council area took place in Dingwall last night.
There were 77,206 votes cast, equating to a turnout of 43.2 per cent. That included 22,876 postal votes.
The SNP accrued more than double the number of votes of its closest challengers with the Brexit Party claiming 13,854 and the Lib Dems 13,416.
The Scottish Green Party took 7052 votes – just shy of the Conservative's 7577 and more than double Labour's 3109.
The total number of valid votes given to each registered party and individual candidate in the Highland Council area is as follows:
Change UK – The Independent Group –1199
Conservative and Unionist Party – 7577
Labour Party – 3109
Liberal Democrats – 13,416
Scottish Green Party –7052
Scottish National Party (SNP) – 28,681
The Brexit Party –13,854
UK Independence Party (UKIP)– 1619
Edgar, Gordon – 286
Parke, Ken – 124
These votes, counted at the Highland Football Academy in Dingwall, were relayed to Scotland’s Regional Returning Officer, who collates the results from 32 local areas in Scotland and determines the six MEPs to represent Scotland.
Political analyst John Curtice has been quoted as saying the election results show the country is "deeply divided" over Brexit with the two most popular choices being leaving without a deal and having a second referendum.
This story will be updated.
