European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom) facts for kids
The 2009 European Parliament Election was a big vote held in all 27 countries that were part of the European Union (EU) at the time. This election happened on 4 June 2009. In the United Kingdom, people voted to choose 72 Members of the European Parliament, often called MEPs. These MEPs represent the UK in the European Parliament.
This election used a system called proportional representation. This means that the number of MEPs a political party gets usually matches the percentage of votes they received.
One interesting thing about this election was that the UK Independence Party came in second place across the country for the first time ever. Also, the British National Party gained seats in an elected parliament for the very first time.
How the UK Voted in 2009
In the 2009 election, different political parties won a certain number of MEPs across England, Scotland, and Wales.
- Conservative Party: They won 25 MEPs.
- UK Independence Party: They won 13 MEPs.
- Labour Party: They also won 13 MEPs.
- Liberal Democrats: They won 11 MEPs.
- Green Party of England and Wales: They won 2 MEPs.
- British National Party: They won 2 MEPs.
- Scottish National Party: In Scotland, they won 2 MEPs.
- Plaid Cymru: In Wales, they won 1 MEP.
In Northern Ireland, three MEPs were chosen. These MEPs came from three different parties: Sinn Fein, the Democratic Unionist Party, and the Ulster Unionist Party.
The next European Parliament Election took place in 2014.
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