The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
South Holland was reflective of the national mood as the UK Independence Party topped the poll in the European Parliament elections.
UKIP came top in the district with 10,408 votes – that was 48 per cent of those cast.
South Holland is part of the East Midlands region, which has five of the 70 UK seats.
UKIP retained its two seats, with Margot Parker replacing Derek Clark alongside Roger Helmer.
The Conservatives gained a second seat as Emma McClarkin was joined by Andrew Lewer, and Labour candidate Glenis Willmott was re-elected.
The highest-profile loser was Bill Newton-Dunn, the Conservative-turned-Liberal Democrat who has been almost ever-present in the European Parliament since its inception in 1979.
Mr Newton-Dunn lost the Lib Dems’ only East Midlands seat when the party polled little more than five per cent of the vote.
That was almost seven per cent down on the previous election in 2009.
Mr Newton-Dunn warned voters that without a reality check, the nation was in danger of “sinking”.
He told The Voice: “So much has changed since my first election in 1979. We are now living in a world of very rapid change. And the changes will not go away.
“UKIP won nine per cent of the votes in the East Midlands without having any policies. Sadly two-thirds of voters could not be bothered to vote. UKIP has no mandate and no power to achieve anything. Just modern-day Luddites.
“Change will not go away. Either voters face up to reality or we shall sink as a nation.”
He added: “It has been a very great honour to represent Lincolnshire for 30 years. Thank you all so much.”
Coun Gary Porter, Conservative leader at South Holland District Council and vice-chairman of the Local Government Association, believes the Tories had a satisfactory result in the East Midlands and insists that the Liberal Democrats are now a “spent force” in the region.
He said: “It was a comparatively good night for us, we gained a seat.
“I work with Andrew Lewer at the Local Government Association and I think he will be a great MEP.
“UKIP did well and the mainstream parties must now take them as the Lib Dem replacement as the third party.
“Labour did very badly compared to previous main opposition parties and the Lib Dems are now a spent force in the East Midlands, both at a local and European level.”
South Holland result (total votes: 21,498):
An Independence from Europe – 618
British National Party – 387
Conservative Party – 6,303
English Democrats – 283
Green Party – 769
Harmony Party – 39
Labour Party – 1,940
Liberal Democrats – 712
UK Independence Party – 10,408
Rejected – 39
