The 1979 European Parliament election, was the first European election to be held in the United Kingdom after the European Communities (EC) decided to directly elect representatives to the European Parliament. It was held on 7 June. Elections were also held in eight other EC states. European elections were incorporated into UK law by the European Assembly Elections Act 1978. Out of the 410 members of the European Parliament, 81 were elected from the UK. The electoral system was First past the post in England, Scotland and Wales (electing 78 MEPs in total) and Single Transferable Vote in Northern Ireland (electing 3 MEPs).

The result was a landslide victory for the Conservative Party, which won 60 of the 78 seats available in England, Wales and Scotland. Their decisive victory in the general election of the previous month and divisions within the Labour party on whether to stay in the EC probably helped the Conservatives to such a comprehensive victory. There was a very low turnout in the election compared with other states, the lowest in Europe. Voter apathy was an explanation, but it is likely the large number of elections in 1979 had a significant negative effect on turnout. There were referendums in Scotland and Wales on devolution in March and the general election in May, as well as local elections in England (not including London) and Wales.

Result (UK-wide) + UK Parliament Briefing Party Votes won % of vote Seats % of seats 6,508,492 48.4 60 75.0 4,253,247 31.6 17 21.3 1,690,638 12.6 0 247,836 1.8 1 1.3 170,688 1.3 1 1.3 140,622 1.0 1 1.3 125,169 0.9 1 1.3 83,399 0.6 0 39,026 0.3 0 38,198 0.3 0 33,969 0.3 0 United Against the Common Market 27,506 0.2 0 23,539 0.2 0 17,953 0.1 0 10,205 0.1 0 United Community 9,383 0.1 0 United Labour 6,122 0.0 0 4,804 0.0 0 4,418 0.0 0 3,712 0.0 0 Independent Democratic 2,473 0.0 0 1,635 0.0 0 Ulster Liberal Party 932 0.0 0 EFP 497 0.0 0 Others 1,628 0.0 0

Overall (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) turnout: 32.4% Overall votes cast: 13,460,091

Results Breakdown

England, Scotland and Wales

Source: UK Parliament Briefing

Party Votes won % of vote Seats % of seats 6,508,492 50.6 60 76.9 4,253,247 33.0 17 21.8 1,690,638 13.1 0 247,836 1.9 1 1.3 83,399 0.6 0 United Against the Common Market 27,506 0.2 0 23,539 0.2 0 17,953 0.1 0 10,205 0.1 0 4,804 0.0 0 Ind. Democratic 2,473 0.0 0 1,635 0.0 0 EFP 497 0.0 0 Others 1,628 0.0 0

Total votes cast – 12,873,852.

Northern Ireland

Source Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive

Party Candidate(s) Seats First Preference Votes Number % of vote Ian Paisley 1 170,688 29.8 John Hume 1 140,622 25.5 John Taylor, Harry West 1 125,169 21.9 Oliver Napier 0 39,026 6.8 James Kilfedder 0 38,198 6.7 Bernadette McAliskey 0 33,969 5.9 United CommunityDavid Bleakley 0 9,383 1.6 United LabourPaddy Devlin 0 6,122 1.1 Brian Brennan, Francis Donnelly 0 4,418 0.8 Eddie Cummings 0 3,712 0.6 James Murray 0 932 0.2

Total votes cast – 572,239.

Constituency results

ConstituencyCon%Lab%Lib%PC%SNP%OthersBedfordshire102,05458.848,45427.921,94312.61,1980.7Birmingham North68,50747.860,16342.014,58310.2Birmingham South66,01247.560,77543.712,1608.8Bristol100,16054.259,44332.125,30813.7Cambridgeshire94,49759.042,03826.323,50114.7Cheshire East89,64056.050,32431.519,95212.5Cheshire West93,58956.847,27628.723,81614.5Cleveland76,51450.651,68834.118,12512.04,9603.3Cornwall and Plymouth94,65055.136,68121.423,10513.517,16410.0Cotswolds109,13958.637,71320.327,91615.011,4226.1Cumbria104,47156.462,48533.716,6319.01,5960.9Derbyshire81,04650.962,34739.215,7759.9Devon127,03261.837,38018.241,01020.0Durham53,04335.181,98254.216,09410.7Essex North East99,13760.733,49620.526,29816.14,4972.7Essex South West78,05953.946,24431.920,51614.2Glasgow41,14427.373,84649.011,0737.324,77616.4Greater Manchester North62,45639.279,92050.216,91010.6Greater Manchester South70,68847.563,21442.514,86910.0Greater Manchester West67,12743.366,82543.121,02113.6Hampshire West114,97858.934,47217.745,78623.4Hereford and Worcester106,27158.549,88827.525,42114.0Hertfordshire97,17450.249,61925.646,75724.2Highlands and Islands30,77626.110,8469.236,10930.739,99134.0Humberside79,53151.756,52136.817,64311.5Kent East117,26764.740,06022.120,19011.13,7882.1Kent West113,96160.746,48224.827,12713.5Lancashire Central91,35554.163,70937.713,8218.2Lancashire East77,08749.962,72940.612,2687.92,4731.6Lancashire West79,88851.360,39938.712,1167.83,4862.2Leeds54,40539.862,47545.620,00514.6Leicester91,67555.157,81134.717,02710.2Lincolnshire104,46061.544,61626.320,81512.2Liverpool49,64645.242,41938.717,65016.1London Central84,91554.445,72129.319,01012.26,4484.1London East77,95548.864,92540.716,78310.5London North74,04249.759,07739.715,83810.6London North East36,20034.261,00457.58,8398.3London North West87,59655.349,26831.121,61813.6London South98,29858.944,96727.023,52614.1London South East94,18055.054,79832.021,49412.58900.5London South Inner60,65243.667,83048.810,5097.6London South West83,49852.051,74232.221,25113.23,8102.6London West89,43351.067,19338.317,0779.81,6350.9Lothians66,76135.661,18032.629,51815.829,93516.0Mid and West Wales67,22636.077,47441.417,6289.422,73012.21,8261.0Mid Scotland and Fife66,25535.158,76831.218,1129.645,42624.1Midlands Central94,60657.946,55728.515,8599.76,3803.9Midlands East85,09855.353,93535.114,8199.6Midlands West69,91647.368,02446.09,9366.7Norfolk102,98159.852,40630.416,8059.8North East Scotland51,93033.038,13924.238,51624.528,88618.3North Wales74,17341.946,62726.421,98912.434,17119.3Northamptonshire103,63859.647,02927.123,13413.3Northumbria67,06639.975,17244.825,71315.3Nottingham64,72844.866,27945.913,5159.3Salop and Stafford90,54557.545,54728.916,46910.54,8043.1Sheffield64,15742.177,21950.710,9517.2Somerset120,05757.041,93119.948,60023.1South East Wales51,47830.393,09354.810,5346.212,4697.42,1821.3South of Scotland66,81643.043,14527.716,82510.828,69418.5South Wales66,85237.977,78444.117,81110.114,0297.9Staffordshire East70,83648.764,23044.110,4097.2Strathclyde East41,48228.672,26349.810,3257.121,01314.5Strathclyde West65,60837.263,78136.117,95510.229,11516.5Suffolk101,96660.445,64227.121,13112.5Surrey113,78654.428,89713.862,27229.74,4502.1Sussex East123,50665.733,58117.930,84716.4Sussex West131,07765.926,89413.535,59317.95,3032.7Thames Valley110,78863.139,86522.724,87714.2Tyne South and Wear67,47544.973,93649.28,9585.9Upper Thames103,48859.439,90022.930,90717.7Wessex130,74463.342,91020.831,22015.11,7060.8Wight and Hampshire East128,41464.734,90117.635,24817.7Wiltshire86,87347.535,45719.460,40433.1Yorkshire North98,46459.141,40824.826,81216.1Yorkshire South46,65632.683,49058.313,0259.1Yorkshire South West52,15735.875,47351.917,85012.3Yorkshire West73,55544.476,55246.315,4609.3

See also Elections in the United Kingdom#European Parliament elections List of members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom (1979–1984)

References