{"id":2242,"date":"2009-06-07T19:55:00","date_gmt":"2009-06-07T19:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jcm.org.uk\/blog\/?p=2242"},"modified":"2009-06-19T10:24:57","modified_gmt":"2009-06-19T10:24:57","slug":"twittering-the-european-elections-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jcm.org.uk\/blog\/2009\/06\/twittering-the-european-elections-results\/","title":{"rendered":"Twittering the European elections results"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m on Twitter<\/a> at the moment, blathering away more or less incoherently with a bunch of other Eurobloggers (@JonWorth<\/a>, @JulienFrisch<\/a>, @kosmopolit<\/a>, @citizeneurope<\/a>, @EuropeanCitizen<\/a> and a bunch of others) as the results and rumours come in.<\/p>\n

Follow along via the hashtags #eu09<\/a> and #ep09<\/a> – your best bet is probably to use Twitterfall<\/a> to follow the various tweets live. It’s fairly simple to use, it must be said – just add a bunch of searches into the “Custom” field in the left-hand column (I’m using #ep09, #eu09, EU, Europe and elections), and get real-time commentary from all over the shop. Some of it’s rubbish, naturally – this is the internet – but some is surprisingly good.<\/p>\n

Current trend – at 8:45pm UK time, so 15 minutes from the results – seems to be a surge in support for the right (both centre right and far right), with mostly falling turnouts yet again, though ranging member state to member state from c.20% to c.80%. But with national issues likely to dominate everywhere, working out Europe-wide reasons for any apparent trends is something to be treated with great caution.<\/p>\n

Below the fold – my Twitter contributions from the night (in chronological order, starting c.8:45pm UK time, ending c.2:30am UK time – and for Twitter newcomers, “RT” indicates where I’m quoting someone else):
\n<\/p>\n

Wow – passably interesting live coverage from EuroparlTV! (Well, interesting if you’re a bit of a geek…) http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/quudxp<\/a><\/p>\n

Anyone know of alternatives (FR\/EN ideally) to the BBC’s fancy graphical EU elections thingie? http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/o8x7lg<\/a> #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

Good news for lefties – in Greece, at any rate: http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/qxtma5 The right doing well pretty much everywhere else #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @jonworth<\/a> Swedish Pirates get 7.4% so 1 MEP at least. http:\/\/tr.im\/nIDZ<\/a> #eu09 #ep09 [I utterly insist they dress as pirates AT ALL TIMES]<\/p>\n

RT @demsoc<\/a> Early turnout figures for #ep09 – new low of 43% [Yay for democratic engagement! I hate people sometimes…] #eu09<\/p>\n

#eu09 now seems t be trending in Twitterfall… #ep09<\/p>\n

Declan Ganley trailing in 5th place, according to the BBC. So much for Libertas… #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @JulienFrisch<\/a> #eu09 hashtag has made it on the global Twitter trends. [Hurrah! A few days too late, but still…] #ep09<\/p>\n

Oh Christ – not Jeremy sodding Vine and his sodding patronising graphical bullshit… #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

RT @ConnectIrmeli<\/a>: #eu09 #ep09 Finland: Big winners are True Finns (rising EU critic) and Greens, all three big parties (Right, Centre, Left) losing votes<\/p>\n

Christ – the Socialists have absolutely collapsed in France. Minus 18% share of vote, and minus 11 MEPs! Sarkozy’s lot up. #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

Dear anti-BNP protest types in Manchester – don’t get aggressive at BNP twat Griffin – he’ll only use the footage for self-promotion<\/p>\n

RT @dnotice<\/a> Less likely BNP will win a NW seat, as in Burnley Lib Dems are looking as if they will come 1st http:\/\/is.gd\/RYbE #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @dnotice<\/a> RT @StopNickGriffin<\/a>: Looks like BNP can’t win – LD & Green for final seat – v high Green in Manc & L’pool seems to have done it!<\/p>\n

RT @jonnelledge<\/a> SNP probably beat Labour in Scotland, even though SNP in power up there. Christ, they’re fucked, aren’t they? #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

RT @RTE_Elections<\/a>: Across Europe, no sign of Libertas candidates being elected yet in other member states, apart from France #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @siliconglen<\/a>: #eu09 Labour in 6th place? wow. http:\/\/bit.ly\/CMyCD<\/p>\n

Hmmm… Greens, Liberals and Socialists all up (slightly) in Germany. That “right on the rise” trend seems less clear #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

@JulienFrisch<\/a> Ah – fair enough. My knowledge of German politics these days is next to non-existent…<\/p>\n

William Hague: “All the main EP groups are too pro-EU.” What about the IND group, Bill? Tories would be an ideal fit with Farrage’s lot…<\/p>\n

Anyone know why France and Germany, who voted today, already have full results out, but the UK has NOTHING, despite voting days ago? #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @kosmopolit<\/a> @Nosemonkey<\/a> German TV had UK result (forecast?) 20 min ago: CON 26% UKIP 18 % LAB 16% GREENS 10% LIB 12% as far as I remember<\/p>\n

RT @bloggers4ukip<\/a>: Independence & Democracy group loses all 9 MEPs in Poland – Poland is now a eurofederalist country #eu09 [Ha ha ha!]<\/p>\n

Labour still 1st in the North East? I wasn’t expecting that, even though it IS the North East… #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

RT @JulienFrisch<\/a> RT @Tayebot<\/a>: First estimations of the new hemicycle online: http:\/\/bit.ly\/11OdNi<\/a> SOURCE: TNS #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

RT @tim_woodall<\/a>: The Apprentice more of a trending topic than the election! [And this is why democracy is screwed…] #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @tpcom<\/a> provisional #eu09 results PES 155-167 EPP 263-273 Greens 52-56 ALDE 78-84 GUE 33-37 UEN 33-37 IND 1519 Others 83-89 http:\/\/is.gd\/<\/a><\/p>\n

RT @Eurocentrique<\/a> Just got back from the European Parliament – walked into a press room at one stage and saw 30 screens all on twitter :)<\/p>\n

IND Group’s loss of all nine MEPs in Poland now confirmed by the BBC. EPP up 30% – Cameron’s new Group looking even more silly #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

“The Poles may be the biggest national bloc within the EPP” – BBC’s Alan Little. Nice move, Cameron! Could have been the Tories. #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @jonworth<\/a> Eric Pickles is shockingly bad. “We won’t ally with anti-gay parties” – so what is PiS \/ Law & Justice in Poland, Eric? Idiot.<\/p>\n

RT @ALDEgroup<\/a> Libertas’ Declan Ganley 4th place after the 1st count “virtually no chance” of a seat in Ireland’s North West. #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

RT @pickledpolitics<\/a> Eric Pickles didn’t know what to say… as to why Tories didn’t gain from Labour in Eastern region. hilarious #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

Christ – BNP ahead of the Tories in Barnsley? Right – new first strike coordinates for when I get the nuke codes… #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

Yorkshire & the Humber – BNP get 120,139… Fuck you, Yorkshire. #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

FUCK. British Nazi Party gets a seat. Fuck you thoroughly, Yorkshire and the Humber. #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

RT @jonworth<\/a> Britain’s best Labour MEP, Richard Corbett, loses his seat to Andrew Brons of BNP. Awful, awful. #eu09 #ep09 [I hadn’t twigged]<\/p>\n

RT @jamesgraham<\/a> Polls seem to have consistently over represented the Greens. #ep09 #eu09 [in the UK, at any rate]<\/p>\n

So, farewell then, Richard Corbett: The only non-mental MEP to ever get regular UK media coverage, and the first MEP to blog. #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

Oh God, an articulate, middle-class racist MEP. Barking conspiracy-theorist racist loon, but a good speaker. This could be very bad. #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @demsoc<\/a> Newly elected BNP MEP claims Gordon Brown is going to rerun Euro election until he gets the right answer. He’s nuts, isn’t he? #eu09<\/p>\n

BNP MEP former National Socialist Movement member, former National Front candidate. Hardcore fascist, in other words. Hurrah. #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @demsoc<\/a> Frankly, BNP MEP sounded just like a UKIP one to me.<\/p>\n

RT @pickledpolitics<\/a> It’s looking like [British Nazi Party leader] Nick Griffin may be elected MEP. Great. Just great. #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @jonnelledge<\/a> Labour down 12% in Wales. Beaten by the Tories. In Wales. You know, the place with the unions and miners and stuff. Christ<\/p>\n

RT @demsoc<\/a> Polish far-right party, Samoobrona\/Self-Defence, loses all 6 of its MEPs as vote collapses. [See – it’s not all bad…] #eu09<\/p>\n

I’m not a violent man, but I’d happily stomp Nick Griffin’s face into a bloody pulp.<\/p>\n

RT @JamieSport<\/a> If racism is vitriol directed at people who look like Griffin, then I’m a massive racist.<\/p>\n

Christ. It’s starting to sink in. The last five years of Kilroy and UKIP stupidity was fun. But the BNP in the EP? It’s just not funny.<\/p>\n

@dnotice<\/a> The BNP won’t be in any group – the far-right Identity, Sovereignty, Tradition group collapsed thanks to them all hating foreigners.<\/p>\n

RT @CaffeinatedDave<\/a>: BNP gets it’s first seat, due to 2.5 million people doing nothing #yorkshireshame #eu09<\/p>\n

I’ve decided to personally blame Hazel Blears for the BNP picking up a seat. Undermined Labour confidence at the last minute and gifted it.<\/p>\n

RT @JamieSport<\/a> Hey Yorkshire! Here’s your new Nazi arsonist swastika wearing MEP: http:\/\/bit.ly\/TZluO<\/a><\/p>\n

RT @jockso<\/a> I don\u2019t want to keep repeating myself but the BNP vote in Yorkshire fell. Not the rise of fascism, the rise of apathy. #eu09<\/p>\n

South East region computer failure preventing the result. Bring on the National Identity Database and NHS IT system, eh? #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

RT @deanlove<\/a>: The EU election results are like a horrible mirror of the US elections earlier in the year. It’s all fear instead of hope.<\/p>\n

RT @doctorvee<\/a> PR *doesn’t* let fascist parties in. People voting for fascist parties does! #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

RT @jonnelledge<\/a> Nigel Farage says UKIP will put up 500 candidates for the next general election. If anything saves Labour, it’ll be that.<\/p>\n

RT @keewa<\/a>: funny how the BNP preach racial purity when they all look like piggly eyed, saggy jawed troglodytes isn’t it? #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @monstris<\/a>: Apprentice’s Yasmina, of Iranian extraction, [post-facto note: the winner of a reality TV show, announced the same night] is the sort of person the BNP wld expel. How’s that for a socipolitcal mashup?<\/p>\n

BNP – 86,420 in London? Christ… *crosses fingers it’s not enough* #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

190,000 for the Greens – I don’t like the Greens, but that should keep out the fascists. Yay! #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

London: Tory, Labour, Lib Dem, Green, UKIP, Labour, Tory, Tory – no seat for @jonathanfryer<\/a> again. Damn – but UKIP pushed to 4th. Yay! #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @johnhalton<\/a>: The big plus for Gordon Brown: total lack of any real breakthrough for Tories so far (Wales notwithstanding). #eu09<\/p>\n

RT @markclapham<\/a> RT @jamesmoran<\/a>: If you choose not to vote, then you’re just as bad as the BNP voters. But you don’t get to complain.<\/p>\n

RT @MakeVotesCount<\/a> Turnout in London is 33.3% – only 4% down since last time. Not bad considering no local elections in London on Thu.<\/p>\n

East Midlands: Tory, Labour, UKIP, Tory, Lib Dem – UKIP lose a seat to the Lib Dems. Ha! Probably lack of Kilroy this time. Labour only -4%<\/p>\n

RT @jonnelledge<\/a> So far UKwide Tories +1%, Labour -7%, LibDems and UKIP -1% each. Not a big swing to the right, it’s just Labour imploding.<\/p>\n

RT @doktorb<\/a>: Reports from Manchester count – NW result imminent – BNP 1, UKIP 1, LD 1, Con 3, Lab 2 most likely #eu09<\/p>\n

BNP’s rise not surprising (if worrying): Nationalism, racism and xenophobia always rise in recessions. Labour collapse amplifying the effect<\/p>\n

UKIP support in Cornwall dropping. About time. Cornwall’s entire economy relies on EU funding… #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

Hmmm… Socialists up in Czech Republic. Not much of a boost for the Tories’ potential Czech allies, from what I can tell. #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

South West England: The Libertas FAIL continues apace. They’re not even beating individual independents… #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

South West: Tory, UKIP, Lib Dem, Tory, UKIP, Tory – no Labour MEPs at all for the South West. #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

Tory and UKIP vote share both -1% – Labour down 7%; Hardly a ringing endorsement of the Conservative Party, is it? #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

Nice – South East BNP vote read out to shout of “Fascists! Fucking fascists!” Over 100,000 voted BNP, though hopefully not enough…<\/p>\n

South East England: Tory, UKIP, Tory, Lib Dem, Green, Tory, UKIP, Tory, Labour, Lib Dem<\/p>\n

Good result for the EU there – Marta Andreassen was No.2 on the UKP list: http:\/\/bit.ly\/jTgvp<\/a> #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

RT @demsoc<\/a> Labour frozen out in South West, in 5th place behind Greens. UKIP get 2 – lots of ungrateful farmers… #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

Nigel Farrage still complaining about his supporters being too stupid to read a ballot paper… #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

He he! RT @JamieSport<\/a> RT @cathelliott<\/a> I do not like green eggs and ham: I do not like that Hannan man #Icandodrseusstoo #eu09<\/p>\n

I meant what I said and I said what I meant – BNP voters can go and get bent #Icandodrseusstoo<\/p>\n

Nice – Dimbleby finally asks Tory arch anti-EU type Hannan the question I’ve been pondering for ages: “Why don’t you join UKIP?” #eu09<\/p>\n

Ah – the BBC have finally remembered that they have a Europe Editor waiting around in the European Parliament giving continent-wide analysis<\/p>\n

RT @pickledpolitics<\/a> The tweedledum and tweedledee of Europe – Nigel Farage and Dan Hannan! hah! gotta love Dimbleby<\/p>\n

RT @JamieSport<\/a> Terribly friendly are Hannan and Farige; it can’t be that long til we hear of their marriage #icandodrseusstoo<\/p>\n

West Midlands: BNP 121,967 – That’s now well over half a million BNP voters UK-wide. Still, 2.4m Muslims – who’d win in a fight? #eu09<\/p>\n

West Midlands: Tory, UKIP, Labour, Tory, Lib Dem, UKIP – UKIP gain from Labour<\/p>\n

North West England: BNP Leader Nick Griffin looks to be in with 132,094. Close, though…<\/p>\n

Looks like about 200 more votes for UKIP would have been enough to keep the BNP out…<\/p>\n

West Midlands: Tory, Labour, UKIP, Lib Dem, Tory, Labour, Tory, BNP<\/p>\n

Make that 1,200 more votes for UKP to keep out the BNP, or 5,00 more for the Greens. But the BNP’s total votes actually went down. #eu09<\/p>\n

I hope the 25,999 who voted Socialist Labour and the 23,580 who voted No2EU are pleased with themselves – they could have stopped Griffin.<\/p>\n

Nick Griffin blaming Labour, “an out of touch political elite”, “unelected bureaucrats” and claiming electoral fraud. #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

Griffin’s speech so far could have been delivered by someone from UKIP… #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

Griffin: “We have no problem with people who are here legally and are contributing”? You could have fooled me… #ep09 #eu09<\/p>\n

Wow… BBC News channel have one of their camp entertainment reporters fronting the rest of their elections coverage… #eu09 #ep09<\/p>\n

With that, it’s probably time to go to bed. Proper analysis after some sleep before spouting off on BBC World News again in the evening.<\/p>\n

RT @warrenellis<\/a> The UK has elected in record low turnout a neofascist Shoah-denier & an actual no-hyperbole neo-Nazi to the Euro Parliament<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’m on Twitter at the moment, blathering away more or less incoherently with a bunch of other Eurobloggers (@JonWorth, @JulienFrisch, @kosmopolit, @citizeneurope, @EuropeanCitizen and a bunch of others) as the results and rumours come in. Follow along via the hashtags … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[147,28,34,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-of-2009","category-blogs","category-elections","category-eu"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jcm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jcm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jcm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jcm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jcm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2242"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/jcm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2295,"href":"https:\/\/jcm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2242\/revisions\/2295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jcm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jcm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jcm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}