Each region told a similar story - but with subtle differences

European elections 2014: Results breakdown

European elections 2014: Results breakdown

Here's our simplified region-by-region look at the 2014 European election results across the UK…

SCOTLAND

MEPs breakdown: Two Labour, two SNP, one Conservative, one Ukip

Seat changes: Ukip gain one seat / Liberal Democrats lose one seat

Vote share:
SNP LEVEL on 29%
Labour UP 5% to 26%
Conservatives LEVEL on 17%
Ukip UP 5% to 17%
Greens UP 1% to 8%
Liberal Democrats DOWN 4% to 7%

The region summed up: The SNP repeated their victory in 2009 north of the border, but pundits criticised their failure to make more progress against Labour in the context of the looming independence referendum. The only seat change had nothing to do with that at all, reflecting the big story in England.

Noteworthy winner: Well done to Ukip's first MEP in Scotland, David Coburn, who rather embarrassingly has a home address in Kensington, London.

Biggest loser: The vote swings were much flatter in Scotland than elsewhere in the country; the five per cent increase in vote share was technically Ukip's worst regional performance.

NORTH WEST ENGLAND

MEPs breakdown: Three Ukip, three Labour, two Conservative

Seat changes: Ukip gain two seats / Labour gain one seat / Conservatives lose one seat / Liberal Democrats lose one seat / British National party lose one seat

Vote share:
Labour UP 13.5% to 34%
Ukip UP 12% to 27.5%
Conservatives DOWN 6% to 20%
Greens DOWN 1% to 7%
Liberal Democrats DOWN 8% to 6%
British National Party DOWN 6% to 2%

The region summed up: This was one of just two regions where Labour actually won outright, finishing well ahead of Ukip. They also gained more than Ukip, another important indictator.

Noteworthy winner: Steven Woolfe, Ukip's man in the City, snuck in with the final seat to get a second gain for Nigel Farage's party.

Biggest loser: The BNP were destroyed by the Ukip surge, with a big defeat for party leader Nick Griffin.

NORTH EAST ENGLAND

MEPs breakdown: Two Labour, one Ukip

Seat changes: Labour gain one seat / Ukip gain one seat / Conservatives lose one seat / Liberal Democrats lose one seat

Vote share:
Labour UP 11% to 36%
Ukip UP 14% to 29%
Conservatives DOWN 2% to 18%
Liberal Democrats DOWN 12% to 6%
Greens DOWN 1% to 5%

The region summed up: The first region to declare saw a significant surge for Ukip, setting the tone for an evening of shocks – especially for the coalition's governing parties.

Noteworthy winner: Jonathan Arnott, Ukip's general secretary, was the party's first gain of the night. He's come a long way since losing his deposit for Ukip in the 2005 general election.

YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER

MEPs breakdown: Three Ukip, two Labour, one Conservative

Seat changes: Ukip gain two seats / Labour gain one seat / Conservatives lose one seat / Liberal Democrats lose one seat / British National party lose one seat

Vote share:
Ukip UP 14% to 31%
Labour UP 11% to 29%
Conservatives DOWN 5% to 19%
Greens DOWN 1% to 8%
Liberal Democrats DOWN 7% to 6%

The region summed up: Another impressive win for Nigel Farage and co, reflecting a pattern across the north of England. Labour registered a double-digit boost in their vote share but still couldn't do enough to come in first place.

Noteworthy winner: A joint prize for this one goes to Ukip's Amjad Bashir and Jane Hookem, ticking two diversity boxes in one region.

Biggest loser: Edward Macmillan-Scott, the region's defeated Liberal Democrat MEP, had defected to Nick Clegg from the Conservatives. Turns out that might have been an error…

WALES

MEPs breakdown: One Conservative, one Labour, one Plaid Cymru, one Ukip

Seat changes: None

Vote share:
Labour UP 8% to 28%
Ukip UP 15% to 28%
Conservatives DOWN 4% to 17%
Plaid Cymru DOWN 3% to 15%

The region summed up: The only region not to see any change at all, Wales looked for a time during the count like Plaid Cymru might lose their only seat. But they clung on, denying Ukip a gain despite a 15% boost for them.

Noteworthy winner: Jill Evans, holding on for the Welsh nationalists, should count herself lucky after the borderlands of Wales turned from blue to purple.

Biggest loser: Too bad for Ukip's second-placed candidate, who came so close.

WEST MIDLANDS

MEPs breakdown: Three Labour, three Ukip, two Conservative

Seat changes: Ukip gain one seat / Labour gain one seat / Conservatives lose one seat / Liberal Democrats lose one seat

Vote share:
Ukip UP 10% to 31%
Labour UP 10% to 26%
Conservatives DOWN 4% to 24%
Liberal Democrats DOWN 7% to 6%
Greens DOWN 1% to 5%

The region summed up: Yet another region in which Labour failed to come first. It's indicative of how bad this was for Ed Miliband that, compared to other areas, matching Ukip's ten per cent increase is something of an achievement.

Noteworthy winner: Sion Simon, the former Labour MP, wanted to become mayor of Birmingham after quitting parliament. But the Brummies rejected the office. Now he's found himself a new berth in Brussels instead.

Biggest losers: The Lib Dems did badly, losing their only MEP in the region, but the largest slip in vote share goes to the BNP. They collapsed to just 1.5%, down 7.1%.

EAST MIDLANDS

MEPs breakdown: Two Conservatives, two Labour, two Ukip

Seat changes: Ukip gain one seat / Liberal Democrats lose one seat

Vote share:
Ukip UP 16% to 33%
Conservatives DOWN 4% to 26%
Labour UP 8% to 25%
Greens DOWN 1% to 6%
Liberal Democrats DOWN 7% to 5%

The region summed up: This was the region with a huge gap between the Ukip and Labour gains – Nigel Farage and co actually got twice as many more people to vote for them than Ed Miliband's team did. The Tories clung on to their two seats, though.

Noteworthy winner: Roger Helmer is re-elected as a Ukip MEP. He's also standing for Ukip in the Newark by-election coming up next month – where Ukip came first.

Biggest loser: Bill Newton-Dunn was a well-respected Liberal Democrat MEP whose loss will be felt sorely in the party. He went on Sky News complaining that his defeat was worrying for democracy.

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND

MEPs breakdown: Two Conservatives,  two Ukip, one Green, one Labour

Seat changes: Labour gain one seat / Greens gain one seat / Conservatives lose one seat / Liberal Democrats lose one seat

Vote share:
Ukip UP 10% to 32%
Conservatives DOWN 1% to 29%
Labour UP 6% to 14%
Greens UP 2% to 11%
Liberal Democrats DOWN 6% to 11%

The region summed up: One of the best results for the Tories, who only slipped one point and managed to come second. Ukip managed to win but it will be Labour who are most frustrated at finishing down in third place.

Noteworthy winner: The big story is the Green gain of Molly Scott Cato, which comes at the expense of the Lib Dems in a stronghold area for Clegg's party.

Biggest loser: Sir Graham Watson first won his seat for the Lib Dems in 1994, but lost out tonight. "Naturally I am disappointed but not terribly surprised," he said. "The Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives have taken a beating."

SOUTH EAST ENGLAND

MEPs breakdown: Four Ukip, three Conservative, one Green, one Labour, one Liberal Democrat

Seat changes: Ukip gain two seats / Conservatives lose one seat / Liberal Democrats lose one seat

Vote share:
Ukip UP 13% to 32%
Conservatives DOWN 4% to 31%
Labour UP 6% to 15%
Greens DOWN 3% to 9%
Liberal Democrats DOWN 6% to 8%

The region summed up: Another solid performance from Ukip, who kept Labour at bay and doubled their number of MEPs.

Noteworthy winner: Nigel Farage, who is returned as an MEP for the region, was triumphant in his speech. He even went so far as to predict that Ukip could hold the balance of power at the general election next year. This is a man for whom dreams become reality.

Biggest loser: This will be the region most worrying to the prime minister. David Cameron's Conservatives slipped up by a full 3.84%, to be precise, and paid the price by losing an MEP here.

LONDON

MEPs breakdown: Four Labour, two Conservative, one Green, one Ukip

Seat changes: Labour gain two seats / Conservatives lose one seat / Liberal Democrats lose one seat

Vote share:
Labour UP 15% to 37%
Conservatives DOWN 5% to 23%
Ukip UP 6% to 17%
Greens DOWN 2% to 9%
Liberal Democrats DOWN 7% to 7%

The region summed up: A triumph for Labour. London was the worst region for both Ukip and the Conservatives in terms of increased vote share. The rest of the country might be turning to the right, but that certainly wasn't the case in the capital.

Noteworthy winner: Ed Miliband. This was how he wanted it to be across the country. Instead Labour's success in London has only proved a saving grace for the national party of opposition, helping reduce the impact of Ukip's national victory.

Biggest loser: Suzanne Evans, Ukip's communities spokesperson, got into trouble after appearing to agree with a radio presenter's suggestion that the problem for Ukip in London was their difficulty appealing to the "educated, cultural and young".

EAST OF ENGLAND

MEPs breakdown: Three Conservative, three Ukip, one Labour

Seat changes: Ukip gain one seat / Liberal Democrats lose one seat

Vote share:
Ukip UP 15% to 35%
Conservatives DOWN 3% to 28%
Labour UP 7% to 17%
Greens LEVEL at 8%
Liberal Democrats DOWN 7% to 8%

The region summed up: Labour made progress in one of the toughest parts of the country, but remained firmly in third place. The Conservatives were shielded from another reduced vote share by the Lib Dems, of course.

Noteworthy winner: Patrick O'Flynn, a former Sunday Express journalist, will be able to use his ability to turn a phrase in the European parliament after becoming Ukip's big winner in the east.

Biggest loser: Andrew Duff, the Lib Dem MEP, lost his seat. He came third against John Major in the 1992 general election – a better result than his party's fifth-placed position in this contest.