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1989 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom

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The 1989 European Parliament election, was the third European election to be held in the United Kingdom. It was held on 15 June. The electoral system was First-past-the-post voting in England, Scotland and Wales and Single transferable vote in Northern Ireland. The turnout was again the lowest in Europe.

1989 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom
← 1984 15 June 1989 1994 →
81 seats to the European Parliament
Turnout36.4% (Increase3.8%)
  First party Second party
 
Lab
Con
Leader Barry Seal Christopher Prout
Party Labour Conservative
Alliance PES EPP
Leader's seat Yorkshire West Shropshire and Stafford
Last election 32 seats, 34.8% 45 seats, 38.8%
Seats won 45 32
Seat change Increase13 Decrease13
Popular vote 6,153,640 5,331,077
Percentage 38.7% 33.7%
Swing Increase3.9% Decrease5.1%
Colours denote the winning party, as shown in the main table of results.

This election saw the best performance ever by the Green Party (UK) (formerly the Ecology Party), collecting over 2 million votes and 15% of the vote share. It had only received 70,853 as the Ecology Party in the previous election. However, because of the first past the post system, the Green Party did not gain a single MEP, while the Scottish National Party received 1 seat with only 3% of the vote share. The Green Party's vote total of 2,299,287 remains its best performance in a national election, as does its percentage result of 14.5%.

The election also saw Labour overtake the Conservatives for the first time in any election since October 1974 and the first time ever in a European election, winning 13 more seats.

Two by-elections to the British Parliament also took place on the same day in the Vauxhall and Glasgow Central constituencies - Labour held both seats.

Results

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United Kingdom

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Party Votes won[1] % of vote Loss/Gain Seats % of seats Loss/Gain
Labour 6,153,661 38.7  3.9 45 55.6  13
Conservative 5,356,887 33.7  5.1 32 39.5  13
Green 2,299,287 14.5  14.0 0    
SLD 944,861 5.9  12.6 0    
SNP 406,686 2.6  1.0 1 1.2  
DUP 160,110 1.0  0.6 1 1.2  
SDLP 136,335 0.9  0.2 1 1.2  
UUP 118,785 0.7  0.4 1 1.2  
Plaid Cymru 115,062 0.7  0.1 0    
SDP 75,886 0.5 New 0    
Sinn Féin 48,914 0.3  0.4 0    
Alliance 27,905 0.2   0    
Independent 12,724 0.1   0    
Ind. Conservative 6,996 0.0   0    
Workers' Party 5,590 0.0  0.1 0    
Labour Representation Group 3,540 0.0 New 0    
Communist 4,420 0.0 New 0    
Monster Raving Loony 4,263 0.0 New 0    
Mebyon Kernow 4,224 0.0 New 0    
Wessex Regionalist 2,332 0.0   0    
International Communist 1,567 0.0 New 0    
National Front 1,471 0.0 New 0    
Humanist 1,349 0.0 New 0    
Labour Party NI 1,274 0.0 New 0    
Socialist (GB) 919 0.0 New 0    
Corrective 707 0.0 New 0    
Communist League 323 0.0 New 0    
  • Overall (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) turnout: 36% (EU average: 59%)
  • Overall votes cast: 15,896,078

Great Britain

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Party Votes won[1] % of vote Loss/Gain Seats % of seats Loss/Gain
Labour 6,153,661 40.1  3.6 45 57.7  13
Conservative 5,331,098 34.7  6.1 32 41.0  13
Green 2,292,718 14.9  14.4 0    
SLD 944,861 6.2  13.3 0    
SNP 406,686 2.6  0.9 1 1.3  
Plaid Cymru 115,062 0.7  0.1 0    
SDP 75,886 0.5 New 0    
Independent 12,724 0.1   0    
Ind. Conservative 6,996 0.0   0    
Communist 4,420 0.0 New 0    
Monster Raving Loony 4,263 0.0 New 0    
Mebyon Kernow 4,224 0.0 New 0    
Wessex Regionalist 2,332 0.0   0    
International Communist 1,567 0.0 New 0    
National Front 1,471 0.0 New 0    
Humanist 1,349 0.0 New 0    
Socialist (GB) 919 0.0 New 0    
Corrective 707 0.0 New 0    
Communist League 323 0.0 New 0    

Total votes cast: 15,361,267

Northern Ireland

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Party Candidate(s) Seats Loss/Gain First Preference Votes[2]
Number % of vote
DUP Ian Paisley 1 0 160,110 29.9
SDLP John Hume 1 0 136,335 25.5
UUP Jim Nicholson 1 0 118,785 22.2
Sinn Féin Danny Morrison 0 0 48,914 9.1
Alliance John Alderdice 0 0 27,905 5.2
NI Conservatives Myrtle Boal 0 0 25,789 4.8
Green Malcolm Samuel 0 0 6,569 1.2
Workers' Party Seamus Lynch 0 0 5,590 1.0
Labour Representation Mark Langhammer 0 0 3,540 0.7
Labour '87 Brian Caul 0 0 1,274 0.2

Total votes cast – 534,811.

Party Leaders in 1989

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "European Parliament elections: 1979 to 1994". House of Commons Library.
  2. ^ http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papersRP99-57.pdf [dead link]
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