Ann Widdecombe wins South West seat

Dartmoor’s Ann Widdecombe won one of three seats for the Brexit Party in the South West of England.

The former MP said the result reaffirms the 2016 referendum and warned that if there was a general election the main parties would face “carnage”.
The Liberal Democrats took two seats, with the Green Party taking one.

Martin Horwood and Caroline Voaden took the two Lib Dem seats, with Molly Scott Cato retaining a seat for the Greens.

Change UK’s Rachel Johnson and Labour’s Lord Andrew Adonis failed to win a seat.

The other winners for the Brexit Party were James Glancy and Christina Jordan.

Speaking exclusively to the Moorlander, Ms Widdecombe said: ”This result sends a clear message to Westminster. Make sure Britain leaves or we will make sure you leave.

‘What this does is send a very clear message to Westminster – again – that if they don’t sort out leave, at the next general election both the big parties are going to face carnage.

‘We shouldn’t even be having these elections. These elections are a clear demonstration of the farce that has enveloped Westminster.

‘I want a clean Brexit and that is where we have to put our pressure.”

A spokesman for the Brexit Party, speaking to the Moorlander, said: “’Last night’s Euro-election vote count confirmed the 2016 EU referendum result with crystal clear clarity. The people of this country and our region demand that their vote to leave the EU is upheld, and no longer delayed.

‘They want us to enjoy a brighter future as a sovereign, properly democratic, free country embracing the entire world and all 182 other
non-EU countries as well as the EU 27.

‘To decide our own laws and what we spend our taxes on here; to look after our fellow man; to be able to elect and sack our Parliamentary representatives if needs be, and thereby hold elected politicians properly to check. No more unelected bureaucrats, no more fat expense accounts, and no more unaccountable and unreported ‘dodgy’ dealings behind closed doors.

‘The Brexit party in just 6 weeks has broken the mould of British politics; garnered 120,000 registered supporters and taken this election by storm. In the South West some areas returned an amazing and humbling 52% of the count to the Brexit party!

‘Under the Brexit lens our two-party cartel and the self-supporting system that perpetuates this state of affairs, has been found to be totally broken. We aim to change it, and for good. To re-democratise the system and bring it back into control by the people.

‘We want to provide what Wycliffe first said in the middle ages – ‘Rule of the people, by the people, for the people’. No longer – rule of the people, by a small clique, for the benefit of that clique, as is the current situation.

‘Our 3 Brexit Party MEPs – Ann Widdecombe, James Glancy and Christina Jordan will start that work with passion, talent, worldly experience and belief as soon as possible.

‘To those who put their faith in the Brexit Party and voted for us, many many thanks and we won’t let you down. To everyone in our wonderful South West region we will work for you, on behalf of you and for a more democratic, brighter and more prosperous future for all.”

Lib Dem MEP Mr Horwood, the former Cheltenham MP, said that the South West was “not such a leave region now”.

He added that the “Lib Dems, Greens and Change UK beat Brexit Party and UKIP in the popular vote across the South West”.

Green MEP Molly Scott Cato thanked supporters “for putting your trust in me again”.

The Brexit Party took 36.7% of the vote, while the Conservatives lost more than 20% of their support in the region.

Of the remain parties, the Lib Dems were up by more than 12% while the Greens were up by 7% – giving the two parties 41.2% of the vote.