Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Brexit Party wins European election as Tories are humiliated into fifth place and Labour suffer at the expense of Lib Dems and Greens The Brexit Party was the clear winner in the UK’s European elections, with the pro-EU Lib Dems coming second. The Conservatives and Labour suffered heavy losses, with the former expected to get less than 10% of the vote. Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said the two main parties “could learn a big message” from the results. Overall, out of 64 MEPs declared so far, Mr Farage’s party has won 28, the Lib Dems 15, Labour 10, Greens seven, the Tories three and Plaid Cymru one. All 28 EU member states are electing MEPs to the European Parliament – the EU’s law-making body. Overall, the big centre-right and centre-left blocs lost ground, amid a surge in support for liberals, Greens and nationalists. The UK had been due to leave the EU on 29 March, but when that deadline was missed, participation in the election became mandatory. The Brexit Party topped the polls in every region of England apart from London. It also dominated in Wales, with Plaid Cymru second. Scotland is yet to formally declare, but with most votes counted, the SNP is on course for a resounding victory, with about 38% of the vote. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s count does not begin until Monday, with the results expected on Tuesday. – BBC News Tories and Labour suffer as Brexit Party triumphs – Sky News Nigel Farage surge sends main parties into meltdown – The Times (£) > On BrexitCentral: European election results: Who’s in, who’s out and how the parties fared region by region Nigel Farage issues general election warning as his party tops the poll… Nigel Farage predicted general election success for his Brexit Party if the UK does not leave the European Union after claiming victory in the European contests. On a terrible night for the Conservatives and Labour, the pro-EU Liberal Democrats emerged as the other big winners – underlining the continuing deep divisions over Brexit in British politics. Mr Farage hailed his party’s success as he was elected in the South East, saying: “There’s a huge message here, massive message here – the Labour and Conservative parties could learn a big lesson from tonight – though I don’t suppose that they actually will.” In a message to the Westminster parties he added: “If we don’t leave on October 31 then the scores you have seen for the Brexit Party today will be repeated in a general election, and we are getting ready for it.” Mr Farage repeated his demand for the Brexit Party to be involved in the negotiations ahead of the Halloween deadline. After 10 of the 11 constituencies in England, Scotland and Wales had declared, the Brexit Party had 28 seats, overhauling the 24 MEPs that Mr Farage’s former party Ukip sent to the European Parliament in 2014. The Lib Dems, who were reduced to just a single MEP in 2014, were on 15. – ITV News Nigel Farage says he could win a General Election as Brexit Party romps to victory in EU elections. – The Sun > WATCH: Re-elected Nigel Farage MEP reacts to the European elections results …and demands a seat on the UK’s Brussels negotiating team… Nigel Farage has demanded a seat on Britain’s Brussels negotiating team for the Brexit Party after it pulled off a major victory in the European elections on Sunday night. The new group won the British part of the elections by far, with at least 28 seats – surpassing the former success of Ukip which had won the 2014 elections under Mr Farage’s leadership. The Brexit Party took 32 per cent of the national vote share and topped the poll in nine of the 10 regions declared. Claiming a “big win”, Mr Farage told reporters as the results rolled in: “We’ve got a deadline for 31 October, that’s the date on which we’re supposed to leave the European Union. “That’s in five months’ time. What we’re saying is we’ve got a mandate now, we demand to be part of that negotiating team, to get this country ready to leave whatever the circumstances. “Firstly we’re going to be in Brussels, secondly we’ve got some very high calibre businessmen and businesswomen used to putting deals together – we’ve got to get on with this!” – Independent Nigel Farage demands a seat at Brexit talks – Reuters …while newly-elected Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe says a second referendum is now ruled out as ‘we’ve had it tonight’ The Brexit Party’s Ann Widdecombe has been elected an MEP, declaring that the EU election results rule out a second referendum because ‘we’ve had it tonight’. The former Conservative MP said that if Britain did not leave the EU then ‘the Brexit Party will do what they’ve done tonight in a general election’. After defecting to the Brexit Party earlier this year, the 71-year-old has won a seat in the next European Parliament as a member for South West England. Speaking after her victory she said: ‘I think what tonight does is first of all to get rid of the notion of a second referendum – that’s it, we’ve had it tonight. ‘But secondly it puts immense pressure on Westminster to get this sorted out. ‘People are fed up that the result of the 2016 referendum has not been implemented three years later. ‘They’re sending a big message to Westminster and saying we want this sorted out. ‘There was only ever one reason for voting for the Brexit Party and that was to get Brexit. There were no other things that would make you vote for the Brexit Party yet. ‘Tonight, we have got a very clear instruction from the British people that they are reaffirming the vote that they gave in 2016. ‘They want a Brexit and the only people who are going to deliver it are the Brexit Party. ‘A message to Westminster has come out loud and clear tonight which is: if you don’t Brexit you’ll be going against the will of the people and then the Brexit Party will do what they’ve done tonight in a general election.’ – MailOnline > WATCH: Newly-elected Ann Widdecombe MEP reacts to the European elections results Tory leadership contender Jeremy Hunt warns the party faces an ‘existential threat’ while Boris Johnson says it must heed ‘millions who voted for change’ Boris Johnson has warned that the Tories face catastrophe unless they heed their EU elections drubbing and deliver Brexit at all costs. The leadership front runner said the rout’ in the polls last night will become a ‘permanent haemorrhage’ of voter support unless the party takes dramatic action to win back furious Brexiteers. After Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party gobbled up votes to come top in the contest and consign the Conservatives to the worst result in their history, Mr Johnson delivered a stark message that they must listen to the ‘millions who voted for change’. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is also hoping to succeed Theresa May, said the Tories were looking at an ‘existential risk’ unless they found a way to break the impasse. Mr Johnson laid into Mrs May – who announced her resignation on Friday – for having ‘flagrantly failed’ in managing Britain’s departure from the EU. By contrast he has already declared that if he becomes leader this summer the UK will leave the EU at the end of October, with or without a deal. He wrote in the Daily Telegraph: ‘No one sensible would aim exclusively for a no-deal outcome. No one responsible would take no-deal off the table.’ Mr Johnson insisted last week that the UK would quit the bloc on October 31 ‘deal or no deal’. – MailOnline Jeremy Corbyn in leadership crisis after Labour’s disaster at EU elections… Jeremy Corbyn was plunged into a fresh leadership crisis last night after his senior MPs blamed his pro-Brexit stand for Labour’s euro polls disaster. Labour shed hundreds of thousands of votes, as its Remainers defected to the Lib Dems and Greens, and its Leavers backed the Brexit Party. Labour failed to win in either London and came third in Wales, its two strongest national strongholds. The Lib Dems even pipped the party to second place in humiliated Mr Corbyn’s own constituency of Islington. Minutes after the last polls closed across Europe at 10pm, Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry issued a thinly veiled onslaught on her leader. She named his refusal to offer a second referendum to reverse Brexit as the main reason for it, and demanded an immediate change in party policy. Igniting another bout of bitter Labour infighting, Ms Thornberry said: “We should have said quite simply that any deal that comes out of this government should be put to a confirmatory referendum. “We will need to look again at our policy and make sure that we are clearer – particularly frankly that we are heading for a general election.” Ex-Labour PM Tony Blair’s former communications boss Alastair Campbell confirmed he abandoned his party to vote Lib Dem for the first time in his life in Thursday’s poll. The Sun was also told that Remainer Labour activists were secretly campaigning for rival parties in the final week of the campaign. In Chesterfield, several quietly defected to hand out Lib Dem leaflets instead. – The Sun Corbyn hints he now WILL back a second referendum as Labour civil war breaks out after the party falls to third behind Remainer Lib Dems in euro elections – MailOnline …after Labour is set to be wiped out in Scotland amidst SNP surge Scottish Labour has failed to win a single European seat after more than 200,000 voters deserted the party over Brexit and it suffered its worst election in modern political history. After 31 of Scotland’s 32 councils had declared, Labour finished in fifth place and lost both the Scottish seats it won in 2014. By comparison, the Scottish National party, boosted by an unambiguously pro-remain message from Nicola Sturgeon, secured a record three seats and its highest-ever European parliament vote at 38%. The last result, from the Western Isles, will be declared late on Monday morning but is not expected to change the overall result. The final tally on Sunday night also meant the Tories saved their solitary seat, and the Scottish Liberal Democrats regained a seat they lost in 2014. Keith Brown, the deputy leader of the SNP, said its message had been unambiguous. “We are against Brexit and Scotland is against Brexit. [The] important message is the very strong signal that Scotland has sent tonight to London: we can no longer be ignored as we have been. “Scotland’s position, about wanting to remain a member of the EU, must be respected and if not, then of course we have the option of having [an] independence referendum.” – Guardian Green Party celebrates beating the Tories into fifth place as ‘green wave’ of support sweeps the continent… The European parliament elections have seen a “green wave” sweep the continent, campaigners claimed, as environment-focused politicians surged in popularity – and in the UK, beat the ruling Conservative Party into fifth place. As the Tories suffered their worst-ever national poll results, the Green Party leapfrogged them with more than 2 million votes – or 12.1 per cent – and closed in on Labour, in their best showing since 1989. The remain-backing party more than doubled its tally of MEPs, from three to seven. Projections suggested Greens across Europe may secure 71 seats, up from 52 in 2014, with particularly strong results in France, Ireland and Germany, where they surged to second place as Angela Merkel’s centre-right bloc and her coalition partners, the Social Democrats, saw a slump in support. Sian Berry, co-leader of the UK Green Party, said: “Our message of ‘yes to Europe, no to climate change’ clearly resonated strongly with voters, many of whom will have been casting their vote for our party for the first time. “There is clear evidence from this of strong support for the UK remaining in the European Union, but also for tackling the causes of Brexit – the massive damage done to so many communities by austerity, tax-dodging and diminution of workers’ rights.” – Independent …and centre-left and centre-right blocs lose their historic majority in Brussels The big centre-right and centre-left blocs in the European Parliament have lost their combined majority amid an increase in support for liberals, the Greens and nationalists. The centre-right European People’s Party remains the largest bloc, and is expected to form a pro-EU coalition. The Liberals and Greens had a good night, while nationalists were set for victory in Italy and France. Turnout was the highest for 20 years, bucking decades of decline. Populists gained ground in some countries but fell short of the very significant gains some had predicted. – BBC News Turnout for European elections across the EU hits 20-year high of 50.5% . – BBC News Dominic Raab sets out his stall for the Tory leadership… Dominic Raab has been making his pitch to become Conservative leader, as Michael Gove becomes the eighth MP to join the race to succeed Theresa May. Mr Raab told the BBC he would fight for a “fairer” Brexit deal with the EU – but if that were not possible, the UK would leave with no deal in October. Mr Gove confirmed he would run to “deliver Brexit” and unite the party. Mr Gove, the environment secretary, confirmed on Sunday that he would run for leader, saying: “I believe that I’m ready to unite the Conservative and Unionist Party, ready to deliver Brexit, and ready to lead this great country.” He is expected to outline his pitch later on Sunday. Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and former Commons leader Andrea Leadsom revealed their leadership bids in the Sunday newspapers. Mr Raab told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that the UK’s previous negotiations with the EU over the withdrawal agreement had not been “resolute” enough, and a no-deal Brexit had been taken “off the table”. “I would fight for a fairer deal in Brussels with negotiations to change the backstop arrangements, and if not I would be clear that we would leave on WTO [World Trade Organization] terms in October.” He added: “I don’t want a WTO Brexit but I think unless you are willing to keep our promises as politicians… we put ourselves in a much weaker position in terms of getting a deal.” – BBC News Dominic Raab would keep no-deal Brexit on the table as he bids for Conservative leadership – ITV News …warning MPs they won’t stop him forcing through a no-deal Brexit if he wins… Dominic Raab has warned MPs they will be unable to stop him carrying out a no-deal Brexit if he wins the Tory leadership race, vowing to be “resolute”. The hardline Brexiteer sought to outflank Boris Johnson by arguing it would be “very difficult” for the Commons to pass a law to block a no-deal departure on Halloween night – the current deadline. Giving his first interview since entering the contest, Mr Raab ruled out a further Article 50 delay, vowing: “I will not ask for an extension.” And he added: “It’s very difficult for parliament now to legislate against a no deal, or in favour of a further extension, unless a resolute prime minister is willing to acquiesce in that – and I would not.” Mr Raab’s comments follow the verdict from the respected Institute for Government that it will be “a near impossible task for MPs to stop a prime minister who is determined to leave the EU without a deal”. – Independent > WATCH: Dominic Raab’s interview yesterday on The Andrew Marr Show …as Michael Gove announces his bid, saying ‘I’ve evolved as politician and can lead the Tories’ Michael Gove, who once said he was incapable of being Tory leader, has spoken of evolving as a politician and said he had the required “eye for detail” and “conviction” to become prime minister and take Britain out of the EU. In a wide-ranging BBC interview at Hay festival, Gove spoke not just of his politics, but his upbringing in Aberdeen, the roots of his Euroscepticism, his admiration for Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, and why he once had photographs of Lenin and Malcolm X on his office wall. Gove was being interviewed by Nick Robinson for the Radio 4 podcast Political Thinking. It had been billed on BBC TV news as the launch of Gove’s campaign to succeed Theresa May. Robinson said it was no such thing – Gove agreed to the interview weeks ago with the intention of then pottering around Hay’s bookshops the following day. However, he is standing. When Robinson reminded him that he once said he was incapable of being leader, Gove said he had changed his mind: “I think that I’ve evolved as a politician but obviously we’ll see in the next few days and weeks who people think has what it takes in what is a testing time for the country.” Gove batted away questions over a no-deal Brexit. “One of the things that I’ll be saying more about is how exactly we can make sure that we leave the EU. I don’t deny that it’s a significant challenge after everything that’s happened in the past three years. But throughout my career I have faced significant challenges.” – Guardian Michael Gove says he has ‘evolved’ since he described himself as being ‘incapable’ of being PM – Independent Esther McVey serves EU Brexit ultimatum as she launches leadership bid Former Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, who is in the running to be the next Tory leader, warned that under her leadership the European Union would face a choice between a new Brexit deal that delivers on the 2016 vote or leaving with no agreement on October 31. The Tory leadership hopeful and leading Brexiteer MP pledged to ramp up preparations for no deal after Theresa May repeatedly failed to get support for her controversial Brexit deal. Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday, the former Cabinet minister said: “What we have got to do straight away, actually, is start preparing and a lot of the preparations have been done. So, you are quite right – that date is now fixed. It’s not that I’d like to come out on that date, or I don’t want to, that date is fixed. We won’t be asking for any more extensions, that is part of the corrosive uncertainty that individuals, business and the country don’t want. “So, that date is fixed. Of course, we have to say ‘we need to make sure that we are ready to leave on that date’. “Now, if the EU wants to come back to us the door is open. If they want to have a better deal. That is fine.” Ms McVey called for Britain to “not waste time” and instead make sure the nation is ready to leave with no deal on October 31. But when asked by the Sky News host why she wouldn’t approach the EU with hopes of striking a completely new deal, Ms McVey fired back and said: “They have said quite clearly that they don’t want to. “They’ve said that withdrawal agreement is the only one they want. Now, Parliament has made quite clear that they don’t want that withdrawal agreement – the biggest ever historical loss on the House – three times. “I resigned from Government on it. It is a bad deal. We are now in a different position and that withdrawal agreement boat has sailed.” The staunch Brexiteer insisted the EU “doesn’t want to move” and it is now time Britain prepares to leave with no deal. – Express It’s not sensible to aim exclusively for a no-deal Brexit, argues frontrunner Boris Johnson… It would not be sensible to aim only to leave the European Union without a deal but it would not be responsible to take no deal off the table, Boris Johnson, the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Theresa May as British prime minister, said on Sunday. On Friday former foreign minister Johnson said Britain should leave the bloc with or without a deal on Oct. 31. “No one sensible would aim exclusively for a no-deal outcome. No one responsible would take no-deal off the table,” he wrote in his weekly column for the Daily Telegraph newspaper. “If we are courageous and optimistic, we can strike a good bargain with our friends across the Channel, come out well and on time – by October 31 – and start delivering on all the hopes and ambitions of the people.” – Reuters …while Rory Stewart vows to secure a Brexit deal by locking up MPs over the summer Number Ten hopeful Rory Stewart yesterday vowed to lock squabbling MPs up for their summer holidays until they thrash out a Brexit agreement. The ex-diplomat said he would use his skills negotiating in war-torn Iraq and Kosovo to finally settle the political row. He told Sky News: “I will lock Tory MPs up all through their summer recess, for six or seven hours a day with mediators in the room talking through these issues. “There is a majority in Parliament against no deal – we know that. “There is a majority in parliament against a second referendum – we know that. So we can get to a deal.” Mr Stewart, who was brought up in Scotland, also vowed to create a new beefed up Cabinet Minister for the Union. This will replace posts representing Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. He vowed to “Union proof” all government policies. – The Sun Philip Hammond warns the next PM ‘will not survive’ if they try to force a no-deal Brexit and hints at supporting no confidence motion… Philip Hammond has warned that the next Prime Minister “will not survive” if they attempt to take Britain out of the European Union without a deal. The Chancellor refused to rule out supporting a no confidence motion in the Government if the next Tory leader tries to leave the EU without a deal on October 31, potentially triggering a General Election. Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Andrea Leadsom, and Esther McVey have said they would be prepared to quit with no deal on October 31 if necessary. Mr Hammond told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show: “I think it would be very difficult for a prime minister who adopted no deal as a policy – ‘we are leaving with no deal as a matter of policy’ – to retain the confidence of the House of Commons.” Asked if whether he would vote against the Government on a no-deal withdrawal if he was a backbencher in the autumn, the Chancellor said: “I would certainly not support a strategy to take us out with no deal.” Mr Hammond said talk of a renegotiation before the end of October was a “fig leaf for a policy of leaving on no-deal terms” due to the summer break and the fact a new EU commission will not be in place until the autumn. He said: “That policy has a major flaw in it… and that is that Parliament has voted very clearly to oppose a no-deal exit. A Prime Minister who ignores Parliament cannot expect to survive very long.” – Telegraph (£) Philip Hammond threatens to topple the next Prime Minister if they go for no-deal Brexit – The Sun Top Tories would bring down any PM who backs no deal – Guardian > WATCH: Chancellor Philip Hammond on BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show …while Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell says Labour ‘will work with anyone to block a no-deal Brexit’ Labour will “work with anyone to block a no-deal” Brexit, shadow chancellor John McDonnell has told Sky News. The senior Labour MP appeared on Sophy Ridge on Sunday where he warned against Tory Brexit “extremists” such as Boris Johnson trying “to push us over the edge of a no-deal” if they succeed Theresa May. Labour is facing pressure from its own members to fully commit to a second referendum on Brexit. Deputy leader Tom Watson says the party must “find some backbone” and come out unambiguously in favour of a new vote to have any chance of winning the next general election. Pressed by Ridge on whether Mr Watson was right, Mr McDonnell said that they would be willing to have a second referendum “if necessary” – but only as a last resort. “Well we’ve always worked through what our conference policy was, which was to try to secure a deal if we can, block a no-deal certainly, block a bad deal, try to secure a deal if we possibly can, then if we can’t do that… then seek a general election or failing that, yes, go back to the public,” he said. – Sky News > WATCH: Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday Opposition MPs may not be able to stop Brexit, admits SNP’s Ian Blackford The SNP’s Westminster leader has warned that opposition MPs could struggle to stop a no-deal Brexit. Ian Blackford said any proposition to halt Brexit by revoking Article 50 would have to have teeth and currently it is not clear that would be “particularly easy” to do. He said a no-deal Brexit would “crash the economy” and that Theresa May’s resignation means an increased threat of leaving the EU without a deal as a default on October 31. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Politics Scotland programme, Mr Blackford said: “What we’re seeing at the moment seems to be a lurch to the right from the Conservative Party, they all seem to be outdoing each other on the no-deal Brexit stakes. “I think, at the end of the day, there seems to be a very real risk to the people of Scotland, not just the people of Scotland but the people of the United Kingdom, in terms of that no-deal scenario.” He called for a general election, a people’s vote and for Article 50 to be revoked. “We need to make sure we can give teeth to any proposition to revoke Article 50, and at the moment it is not clear that, if the Government doesn’t bring forward legislation, it’s going to be particularly easy to do that,” he added. “What Theresa May was talking about was bringing forward a Bill that would be become an Act of Parliament and of course that could be amended and then would give us the option to revoke Article 50 but we simply don’t know at this stage what a new prime minister will do.” Asked if any prime minister determined to take the UK out of the EU could do so by the default date by not doing much at all, Mr Blackford said: “I’m afraid that is the case. I know that sounds absolutely ridiculous but … that is the default position. “That’s where we are from the legislation that is already in place so we have to find a way to stop that. “The best way of doing it, in many respects, is if the new prime minister does bring forward legislation, but on a no-deal basis that it’s possible they could avoid that. “So we are in a very dangerous, very worrying situation in terms of our future as members of the European Union.” – Belfast Telegraph Change UK leader Heidi Allen moots forming single centrist party with the Liberal Democrats The leader of Change UK has said the party could form a single centrist party with the Liberal Democrats. Heidi Allen’s comments come after Change UK MP Chuka Umunna said they should form a pact not to stand against each other’s candidates in the next general election. Ms Allen, who left the Conservatives to join other breakaway Tory and Labour MPs, said she would go “one step further” than her party spokesman. “I would like us to be in the same vehicle,” she told BBC Radio 5 Live. Asked if she meant the same party, Ms Allen replied: “Yeah, probably, I don’t know. This partisan thing completely passes me by and when I look across Europe, they seem to do pretty well with coalitions. “I don’t know what the format will be, but will we be singing from the same hymn sheet? I would hope as a collective, let’s call us a collective, somewhere in the middle with other like-minded colleagues. “I don’t think it’s sensible to be too prescriptive at the moment.” Ms Allen said to be a “real insurgent force”, the alliance needs to be “brand new” rather than a larger Liberal Democrat Party. Last week, she admitted she had threatened to quit in an internal row over tactical voting to maximise the pro-Remain challenge to Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party. – Evening Standard Heidi Allen says Change UK could merge with Lib Dems – Guardian Boris Johnson: The message of the European election results is clear. If we go on like this, we will be dismissed I predict a rout. In this miserable election that should never have taken place, for a Euro-parliament that should no longer represent us, the voters are delivering a crushing rebuke to the Government – in fact, to both major parties. I cannot find it in my heart to blame them. They gave us one chief task: to deliver Brexit. They have so far given us almost three years to do it. We have flagrantly failed to carry out their instructions. We have missed deadline after deadline, broken promise after promise; and today our employers – the people – have figuratively summoned us to the Human Resources department for a final warning about our performance. The message from these results is clear. If we go on like this, we will be fired: dismissed from the job of running the country. The only way to avert that outcome is to honour the result of the 2016 referendum, and come out of the EU; and that means doing it properly – not with some frail simulacrum of Brexit, but clearly and sensibly, so that we are able to join every other independent country in being able to set our own tariffs and make our own laws. If we fail yet again to discharge that mandate, then I fear we will see a permanent haemorrhage of Conservative support, and loyal voters who have left us to join the Brexit Party (and others) may simply never come back. – Boris Johnson MP for the Telegraph (£) Matt Hancock: We need to repair a fractured community The Conservative Party stands on the brink. These European elections show the risk if we go the wrong way but they also show the scale of opportunity if we change and look to the future. We need fresh leadership to turn the page, not just to deliver Brexit but then to look to the bright future we need to build beyond. Deliver Brexit, not defined by Brexit. And to do that we must learn the right lessons from these results. Lesson one: no general election until Brexit is delivered. A general election before Brexit would be madness. It would be bad for our country and catastrophic for our party. That means we have to deliver Brexit through this parliament, whether we like it or not. And the brutal truth is that plans that cannot command the confidence of parliament would risk a general election. We would be punished for our failure to deliver Brexit and under any leader this would risk Corbyn by Christmas. I call on all my fellow contenders publicly to rule out an early general election for the sake of the country and the Conservative Party. Second, we need a robust debate conducted with honesty, integrity and respect. We all know that divided parties lose elections. The Conservative Party has had a big falling out, but in the end we are one big family and we need to pull together and work together. So let’s debate the way forward and put our points robustly. But no mudslinging. No personal attacks. Third, we need an agenda that is positive, energetic and optimistic about the future of our country. The European elections have shown that there is no enthusiasm for socialism. But there is a gaping hole in British politics waiting to be filled by a Conservative Party led with energy and optimism. – Matt Hancock MP for The Times (£) Telegraph: A Tory leader must face up to Farage Theresa May as Conservative party leader would be the most experienced member of the Cabinet. Yet Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, a former Foreign and Defence Secretary, and a member of the Tory top team for almost 15 years, is not even standing. While MPs who have not even been in the House of Commons for half that time consider themselves to have the skills and expertise to lead the country through one of its greatest crises, Mr Hammond is taking a back seat. More than that, he might soon be on the backbenches since a new leader from the Leave wing is unlikely to retain his services, certainly not at the Treasury. The Chancellor is seen as the éminence grise behind the failed strategy that forced Mrs May from office; and he makes little attempt to hide the fact. Yet the problem faced by candidates like Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, who insist the UK will leave on October 31 come what may, is that the House of Commons will block this particular route. To say it remains the law, as Mr Raab did yesterday, is to ignore the politics. The Conservatives have no majority in Parliament, they have lost several MPs to the Change UK party, and others might follow if a Brexiter wins. There is no guarantee that the DUP will continue to provide their 10 votes to a new Tory leader. The chances of a no-confidence motion succeeding, therefore, must be high; and after the Conservative Party’s historically woeful performance in the European elections, such a prospect in the next few months would assuredly be calamitous. The Tories need to elect as their new leader someone who can connect immediately with the country. Facing the imminent prospect of an election against the twin threats posed by Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn, despite Labour’s poor election performance, he or she will not have the luxury of easing themselves into the post. Their impact will have to be instant. – Telegraph (£) editorial Matthew Lesh: The next Chancellor should take the fight to Brussels with a radical, pro-growth agenda Deal or no deal, we’ll be talking to our European neighbours for years about our long term relationship. One thing is for certain; though many dismiss Britain’s chances of securing further concessions from EU negotiators as “unicorn thinking”, our chances of reaching a favourable agreement will be boosted dramatically if we are bold enough pursue a radical, pro-growth domestic agenda. Why? Because an economically resurgent Britain is a different beast to Theresa May’s timid declinism. To put us on the right footing, Britain’s next Prime Minister and Chancellor should reinvigorate the economy by immediately slashing taxes and cutting red tape. Business-friendly policies attracting talent and investment from the continent would improve our negotiating leverage and ramp up the pressure on EU negotiators to open trade talks. The current mood in Brussels favours centralised taxation and further red tape – adding to an often hostile business environment across Europe. IfBritain were to reject this approach we could attract continental investment and talent. Already, French entrepreneurs and professionals have countered Hollande’s punitive tax rates by booking one-way Eurostar tickets to London in their droves. Many more could follow in their footsteps. – Matthew Lesh for the Telegraph (£) Kenneth Baker: We must exploit the EU’s growing divisions to push for a better deal As Theresa May delivered her resignation speech outside Downing Street, headline writers and commentators were already lining up to eulogise her as “the Prime Minister brought down by Brexit”. For decades Europe has been my party’s battleground, and the complex and at times tortuous process of negotiating our departure certainly proved an insuperable hurdle to the PM. Yet failure here is not inevitable. I suspect that future historians will look back in amazement on the issues that proved the breaking point of any deal – the Irish border and the Taoiseach’s veto over Britain’s trading policy – as the “tail wagging the dog”. And what of the changing face of the European Union itself? The Parliamentary elections underway throughout Europe may well give May’s successor the chance to bring Britain back to the negotiating table under more favourable conditions. Across the continent, the populist vote opposed to the centralised powers in Brussels is likely to do very well. In Italy, Matteo Salvini is increasing his power to be the leader of Europe’s Hard Right. In the Netherlands, Thierry Baudet, the leader of the Freedom for Democracy Party, a nationalist and populist party founded just three years ago, is now neck-and-neck with the Dutch Prime Minister Rutte. That is not surprising; when I was Home Secretary the Dutch Justice Minister boasted that the Netherlands had open borders that would welcome everybody – not so today. One thing is certain, President Macron will not want the UK to remain in the EU, acting as a brake on his federalist campaign. For Mr Macron, any further delay would present an unwelcome stumbling block. This gives us a tremendous opportunity to prepare a way to work together to ensure that Britain does leave the European Union on October 31, 2019 – the best outcome for our two countries. – Lord Baker of Dorking for the Telegraph (£) The Sun: Voters in the EU election sent a clear and harsh message to mainstream parties — a plague on all your houses The Tories and Labour knew the European results were going to be painful. But the results overnight were a disaster for both. The Conservatives have been battered. But Labour didn’t administer that kicking — instead they lost votes everywhere from Britain’s industrial heartlands to North London’s organic groceries. The message is clear: A plague on all your houses. And the lessons the parties should learn are equally obvious. For the Tories, it is that they have no God-given right to power. And their failure to deliver Brexit could be their death knell unless they get on the right track, sharpish. The leadership battle is already doing them serious damage as it turns all too quickly into a circular firing squad. We’ve got nothing against bright youngsters like Rory Stewart taking a punt at the premiership, but having a pop at colleagues on day one won’t help rebuild the party’s battered reputation. But that’s nothing compared to the current Chancellor threatening to bring down the Government if a new leader pushes for a clean-break Brexit, even if his party’s MPs and members vote for exactly that. If Hammond hasn’t clocked that failing to deliver the referendum result isn’t endearing the party to voters, these European results are a blunt reminder. Everybody who fancies the top job needs to explain, in detail, their Brexit plan. And if they win, the party must deliver it. No ifs, no buts. Winning back Brexit Party voters is vital, but so is moving on from the referendum and pushing forward with a revitalised domestic programme. As for Labour? All that game-playing in Westminster hasn’t done them much good. But they still haven’t learnt. – The Sun says Paul Goodman: Divided Britain It would be foolish to offer a final verdict on the European election results, since Scotland and Northern Ireland have yet to declare, but a brief summary of what they suggest so far is in order. Although very many people are disengaged from the Brexit debate, it is producing a type of political engagement more often seen in other parts of Europe. The EU referendum vote is perhaps the only event in our recent political history to provoke anything like the cultural passions of the Dreyfus Affair. It might well be otherwise had Brexit been delivered on March 29 as promised. Polling evidence suggests that most of those who voted Remain accept the decision to leave. Blame whoever you will for that failure to deliver the referendum result. Either or whatever way, it has left a vacuum which neither of the main parties is filling. Which is why the Brexit Party came first and the Liberal Democrats, now more or less recovered from their Coalition unpopularity, came second. One says No Deal. The other, No Brexit. For the Conservatives, the result is the next worst one to a wipeout. Only three MEPs, our columnist Daniel Hannan among them, stagger back to Brussels. The Tories’ new leader will almost certainly be a Brexiteer, he or she will probably favour No Deal as a last resort, and a small section of Conservative anti-No Dealers, led by Philip Hammond, will try to stop him – perhaps deserting their own Party for a confidence vote. Labour did a bit better than the Tories yesterday so far, but in some ways their plight is even worse. The Conservatives are now a Leave party – certainly at the grassroots, predominantly now among MPs, less so near the top of government. Labour are horribly divided between the Remain and Leave causes. Its London MPs are mostly for Remain. Away from the greater South-East, the party is menaced by the Brexit Party and the Liberal Democrats in different seats. The key will be what those non-southern MPs now make of a second referendum – and revoke. No Deal or No Brexit? The question will be put to the Conservative leadership contenders more insistently than ever now. And they will find it harder to fudge it. – Paul Goodman for Conservative Home James Forsyth: The Labour meltdown means Corbyn must choose sides on Brexit These results are dire for both main parties: the Tories finished fifth and Labour third. Theresa May’s resignation has taken some of the sting out of the Tory humiliation, but Jeremy Corbyn finds his leadership under more pressure than it has been since the 2017 general election result. Most worryingly for him, the membership is not behind him on Brexit. The results for Labour are awful. Look at Scotland and Wales, former Labour strongholds. In Scotland, the Brexit Party came second and Labour finished fifth with just 9pc of the votes, down from 26pc last time. In Wales, the Brexit Party won in 19 of the 22 council areas. For the first time ever, Labour has finished behind Plaid Cymru. Carwyn Jones, a former Welsh Labour First Minister, said that Remain parties collectively beat the Brexit parties: “this is why I said we should have put forward a united slate, just like the Brexit Party.” It’s now clear that Labour’s strategic ambiguity on Brexit – which worked so well for it in the 2017 general election – is now hurting the party. However much he doesn’t want to, Corbyn is going to have to make a choice – knowing that the process will alienate apart of the Labour electoral coalition. He is shifting towards a second referendum, but with some ambiguity as he talks about a general election as an alternative to that. He will now come under intense pressure in the next few days to unequivocally back a second referendum in all circumstances. – James Forsyth for The Spectator Brexit in Brief Theresa May needed to be tough, not stubborn – Nick Ferrari for the Express Britain’s MEPs look forward to £45,000 for four months’ work – The Times (£) Verhofstadt ignores Brexit Party success but congratulates Vince Cable – Express