# East Midlands (European Parliament constituency)

East Midlands was a constituency of the European Parliament in the United Kingdom, established in 1999 with six members to replace single-member constituencies. Between 2009 and the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU on 31 January 2020 it returned five MEPs, elected using the D'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.

## Boundaries

The constituency corresponded to the East Midlands region of England, comprising the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire.

## History

The constituency was organised as a result of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 1999, replacing a number of single-member constituencies. These were Leicester, Northamptonshire and Blaby, Nottingham and Leicestershire North West, Nottinghamshire North and Chesterfield, and parts of Lincolnshire and Humberside South, Peak District, and Staffordshire East and Derby.
MEPs for former East Midlands constituencies, 1979 – 1999 :
| Election | | 1979 – 1984 | | 1984 – 1989 | | 1989 – 1994 | 1994 – 1999 | |
| Derbyshire (1979–1994) | | Tom Spencer Conservative | | Geoff Hoon Labour | Geoff Hoon Labour | Geoff Hoon Labour | Seat abolished | Seat abolished | Seat abolished | Seat abolished |
| Leicester | | Frederick Tuckman Conservative | Frederick Tuckman Conservative | Frederick Tuckman Conservative | | Mel Read Labour | Susan Waddington Labour | |
| Lincolnshire (1979–1994) Lincolnshire and Humberside South (1994–1999) | | Bill Newton Dunn Conservative | Bill Newton Dunn Conservative | Bill Newton Dunn Conservative | Bill Newton Dunn Conservative | Bill Newton Dunn Conservative | Veronica Hardstaff Labour | |
| Northamptonshire (1979–1994) Northamptonshire and Blaby (1994–1999) | | Anthony Simpson Conservative | Anthony Simpson Conservative | Anthony Simpson Conservative | Anthony Simpson Conservative | Anthony Simpson Conservative | Angela Billingham Labour | |
| Nottingham (1979–1994) Nottingham and Leicestershire North West (1994–1999) | | Michael Gallagher Labour (1979–1984) SDP (1984) | | Michael Kilby Conservative | | Ken Coates Labour | Mel Read Labour | |
| Nottinghamshire North and Chesterfield (1994–1999) | Seat not established | Seat not established | Seat not established | Seat not established | Seat not established | Seat not established | Ken Coates Labour | |
| Peak District (1994–1999) | Seat not established | Seat not established | Seat not established | Seat not established | Seat not established | Seat not established | Arlene McCarthy Labour | |
| Staffordshire East and Derby (1994–1999) | Staffordshire East in West Midlands | Staffordshire East in West Midlands | Staffordshire East in West Midlands | Staffordshire East in West Midlands | Staffordshire East in West Midlands | Staffordshire East in West Midlands | Phillip Whitehead Labour | |

## Returned members

MEPs for the East Midlands, 1999 onwards :
| Election | 1999 (5th parliament) | | 2004 (6th parliament) | | 2009 (7th parliament) | | 2014 (8th parliament) | | 2017 | | 2018 | | 2019 (9th parliament) | |
| MEP Party | Phillip Whitehead Labour | Phillip Whitehead Labour | Phillip Whitehead Labour | | Glenis Willmott Labour | Glenis Willmott Labour | Glenis Willmott Labour | | Rory Palmer Labour | Rory Palmer Labour | Rory Palmer Labour | Rory Palmer Labour | Rory Palmer Labour | |
| MEP Party | Mel Read Labour | | Derek Clark UKIP | Derek Clark UKIP | Derek Clark UKIP | | Margot Parker UKIP (2014–19) Brexit Party (2019) | Margot Parker UKIP (2014–19) Brexit Party (2019) | Margot Parker UKIP (2014–19) Brexit Party (2019) | Margot Parker UKIP (2014–19) Brexit Party (2019) | Margot Parker UKIP (2014–19) Brexit Party (2019) | | Annunziata Rees-Mogg Brexit Party (2019) Independent (2019–20) Conservative (2020–21) | |
| MEP Party | Roger Helmer Conservative (1999–2012) UKIP (2012–2017) | Roger Helmer Conservative (1999–2012) UKIP (2012–2017) | Roger Helmer Conservative (1999–2012) UKIP (2012–2017) | Roger Helmer Conservative (1999–2012) UKIP (2012–2017) | Roger Helmer Conservative (1999–2012) UKIP (2012–2017) | Roger Helmer Conservative (1999–2012) UKIP (2012–2017) | Roger Helmer Conservative (1999–2012) UKIP (2012–2017) | Roger Helmer Conservative (1999–2012) UKIP (2012–2017) | Roger Helmer Conservative (1999–2012) UKIP (2012–2017) | | Jonathan Bullock UKIP (2017–2018) Independent (2018) Brexit Party (2019–21) | Jonathan Bullock UKIP (2017–2018) Independent (2018) Brexit Party (2019–21) | Jonathan Bullock UKIP (2017–2018) Independent (2018) Brexit Party (2019–21) | |
| MEP Party | Chris Heaton-Harris Conservative | Chris Heaton-Harris Conservative | Chris Heaton-Harris Conservative | | Emma McClarkin Conservative | Emma McClarkin Conservative | Emma McClarkin Conservative | Emma McClarkin Conservative | Emma McClarkin Conservative | Emma McClarkin Conservative | Emma McClarkin Conservative | | Matthew Patten Brexit Party | |
| MEP Party | Bill Newton Dunn Conservative (1999–2000) Liberal Democrat (2000–2014) | Bill Newton Dunn Conservative (1999–2000) Liberal Democrat (2000–2014) | Bill Newton Dunn Conservative (1999–2000) Liberal Democrat (2000–2014) | Bill Newton Dunn Conservative (1999–2000) Liberal Democrat (2000–2014) | Bill Newton Dunn Conservative (1999–2000) Liberal Democrat (2000–2014) | | Andrew Lewer Conservative | | Rupert Matthews Conservative | Rupert Matthews Conservative | Rupert Matthews Conservative | | Bill Newton Dunn Liberal Democrat | |
| MEP Party | Nick Clegg Liberal Democrat | | Robert Kilroy-Silk UKIP (2004) Veritas (2004–05) Independent (2005–09) | Seat abolished | Seat abolished | Seat abolished | Seat abolished | Seat abolished | Seat abolished | Seat abolished | Seat abolished | Seat abolished | Seat abolished | Seat abolished |
Notes:
* $^1$ Roger Helmer announced on 12 October 2011 his intention to stand down from the European Parliament. After uncertainty whether his place would be taken by the next person on the Conservative Party's list for the East Midlands region, he defected to UKIP and completed his term as MEP.
Key to political groups of the European Parliament (UK)vte :
| Party | Party | Party | Party | Faction in European Parliament | Faction in European Parliament | Faction in European Parliament |
| | Brexit Party | 29 | 29 | | Non-Inscrits | 57 |
| | DUP | 1 | 1 | | | Non-Inscrits | 57 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 16 | 17 | | Renew Europe | 108 |
| | Alliance | 1 | 17 | | Renew Europe | 108 |
| | Green | 7 | 11 | | Greens–European Free Alliance | 75 |
| | SNP | 3 | 11 | | Greens–European Free Alliance | 75 |
| | Plaid Cymru | 1 | 11 | | Greens–European Free Alliance | 75 |
| | Labour | 10 | 10 | | Socialists and Democrats | 154 |
| | Conservative | 4 | 4 | | European Conservatives and Reformists Group | 62 |
| | Sinn Féin | 1 | 1 | | European United Left–Nordic Green Left | 41 |
| Total | Total | 73 | 73 | Total | Total | 750 |

### Complaint against Kilroy-Silk

In August 2005, four of the MEPs for the region (Clark, Heaton-Harris, Helmer and Whitehead) sent a joint letter to President of the European Parliament Josep Borrell to complain of Kilroy-Silk:
   "He seems to have done little or no work as a constituency MEP for the East Midlands. This leaves five MEPs to do the work of six and the electorate have been short-changed". They complained that Kilroy-Silk was not "fulfilling the pledge he made on becoming an MEP, to serve the electorate of his region" and to call for him to "either do the job for which he is paid, or get out and leave it to those who can."
The parliament has no power to remove Mr Kilroy-Silk, who is understood to have attended the minimum number of plenary sessions required to be eligible for his parliamentary allowances. Such a complaint was unprecedented. Kilroy-Silk refused to comment on it. The European Parliament does not have any power to expel a member, and Borrell took no action.

## Election results

Elected candidates are shown in bold. Brackets indicate the number of votes per seat won and order MEPs were elected.

### 2019

European Election 2019: East Midlands :
| List | List | Candidates | Votes | Of total (%) | ± from prev. |
| | Brexit Party | Annunziata Rees-Mogg (1) Jonathan Bullock (2) Matthew Patten (5) Tracy Knowles, Anna Bailey | 452,321 (150,773.67) | 38.23 | +38.23 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Newton Dunn (3) Michael Mullaney, Lucy Care, Suzanna Austin, Caroline Kenyon | 203,989 | 17.24 | +11.82 |
| | Labour | Rory Palmer (4) Leonie Mathers, Tony Tinley, Nicolle Ndiweni, Gary Godden | 164,682 | 13.92 | −11.01 |
| | Conservative | Emma McClarkin, Rupert Matthews, Tony Harper, Brendan Clarke-Smith, Thomas Randall | 126,138 | 10.66 | −15.33 |
| | Green | Kat Boettge, Gerhard Lohmann-Bond, Liam McClelland, Daniel Wimberley, Simon Tooke | 124,630 | 10.53 | +4.55 |
| | UKIP | Alan Graves, Marietta King, Anil Bhatti, Fran Loi, John Evans | 58,198 | 4.92 | −27.98 |
| | Change UK | Kate Godfrey, Joan Laplana, Narinder Sharma, Pankajkumar Gulab, Emma Manley | 41,117 | 3.47 | +3.47 |
| | Independent Network | Nick Byatt, Marianne Overton, Daniel Simpson, Pearl Clarke, Nikki Dillon | 7,641 | 0.65 | +0.65 |
| | Independent | Simon Rood | 4,511 | 0.38 | +0.38 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,183,227 | 34.9 | +1.7 |

### 2014

European Election 2014: East Midlands :
| List | List | Candidates | Votes | Of total (%) | ± from prev. |
| | UKIP | Roger Helmer, Margot Parker, Jonathan Bullock, Nigel Wickens, Barry Mahoney | 368,734 (184,367) | 32.90 | +16.45 |
| | Conservative | Emma McClarkin, Andrew Lewer, Rupert Matthews, Stephen Castens, Brendan Clarke-Smith | 291,270 (145,635) | 25.99 | −4.16 |
| | Labour | Glenis Willmott, Rory Palmer, Linda Woodings, Khalid Hadadi, Nick Brooks | 279,363 | 24.93 | +8.08 |
| | Green | Katharina Boettge, Sue Mallender, Richard Mallender, Peter Allen, Simon Hales | 67,066 | 5.98 | −0.85 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Newton Dunn, Issan Ghazni, Phil Knowles, George Smid, Deborah Newton-Cook | 60,772 | 5.42 | −6.91 |
| | An Independence from Europe | Chris Pain, Val Pain, Alan Jesson, John Beaver, Carl Mason | 21,384 | 1.91 | New |
| | BNP | Catherine Duffy, Robert West, Bob Brindley, Geoffrey Dickens, Paul Hilliard | 18,326 | 1.64 | −7.02 |
| | English Democrat | Kevin Sills, David Wickham, John Dowie, Oliver Healey, Terry Spencer | 11,612 | 1.04 | −1.28 |
| | Harmony Party | Steve Ward | 2,194 | 0.2 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,120,722 | 33.2 | −3.9 |

### 2009

European Election 2009: East Midlands :
| List | List | Candidates | Votes | Of total (%) | ± from prev. |
| | Conservative | Roger Helmer, Emma McClarkin Rupert Matthews, Fiona Bulmer, George Lee | 370,275 (185,137.5) | 30.2 | +3.8 |
| | Labour | Glenis Willmott Roy Kennedy, Kathryn Salt, J David Morgan, Cate Taylor | 206,945 | 16.9 | −4.1 |
| | UKIP | Derek Clark Christopher Pain, Stephen Allison, Deva Kumarasiri, Irena Marriott | 201,184 | 16.4 | −9.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Newton Dunn Ed Maxfield, Veena Hudson, Denise Hawksworth, Deborah Newton-Cook | 151,428 | 12.3 | −0.6 |
| | BNP | Robert West, Cathy Duffy, Peter Jarvis, Lewis Alsebrook, Kevin Stafford | 106,319 | 8.7 | +2.2 |
| | Green | Sue Blount, Richard Mallender, Ashley Baxter, Matthew Follett, Barney Smith | 83,939 | 6.8 | +1.3 |
| | English Democrat | Derek Hilling, Tony Ellis, Diane Bilgrami, David Ball, Anthony Edwards | 28,498 | 2.3 | New |
| | UK First | Ian Gillman, Christopher Elliot, Nadine Platt, David Noakes, Mariann Finch | 20,561 | 1.7 | New |
| | Christian | Suzanne Nti, Thomas Rogers, Timothy Webb, Colin Bricher, Doreen Schrimshaw | 17,907 | 1.5 | New |
| | Socialist Labour | David Roberts, Paul Liversuch, Shaun Kirkpatrick, Michael Clifford, Thea Roberts | 13,590 | 1.1 | New |
| | NO2EU | John McEwan, Avtar Sadiq, Jean Thorpe, Shangara Singh Gahonia, Laurence Platt | 11,375 | 0.9 | New |
| | Libertas | Richard Elvin, Margot Parker, Peter Chaplin | 7,882 | 0.6 | New |
| | Jury Team (UK) | James Lowey, Simon Flude, James Parker, Henry Blanchard, Perry Wilsher | 7,362 | 0.6 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,228,065 | 37.1 | −6.3 |

### 2004

European Election 2004: East Midlands :
| List | List | Candidates | Votes | Of total (%) | ± from prev. |
| | Conservative | Roger Helmer, Chris Heaton-Harris Pauline Latham, Sharon Buckle, Jonathan Bullock, Sarah Richardson | 371,362 (185,681) | 26.4 | −13.1 |
| | UKIP | Robert Kilroy-Silk, Derek Clark Ian Gillman, Peter Baker, John Browne, Barry Mahoney | 366,498 (183,249) | 26.1 | +18.5 |
| | Labour | Phillip Whitehead Glenis Willmott, Ross Willmott, Vandna Kalia, Alan Rhodes, Elizabeth Donnelly | 294,918 | 21.0 | −7.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bill Newton Dunn Nick Clegg, Alan Riley, Veena Hudson, Richard Church, Deborah Newton-Cook | 181,964 | 12.9 | +0.2 |
| | BNP | Peter Francis, Clive Potter, Patrick May, John Pennington, Wendy Russell, John Hall | 91,860 | 6.5 | +5.2 |
| | Green | Brian Fewster, Susan Blount, Robert Ball, Simon Anthony, Paul Bodenham, John Chadwick | 76,633 | 5.5 | +0.1 |
| | Respect | Mohammed Suleman, Sulma Mansuri, Pauline Robinson, Helen Merryman, Craig Plowman, Mary Littlefield | 20,009 | 1.4 | New |
| | Independent | Russell Rogers | 2,615 | 0.2 | New |
| | Independent | Shadmyraine Halliday | 847 | 0.1 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,406,706 | 43.4 | +20.6 |

### 1999

European Election 1999: East Midlands :
| List | List | Candidates | Votes | Of total (%) |
| | Conservative | Roger Helmer, Bill Newton Dunn, Chris Heaton-Harris Javed Arain, Sharon Buckle, Pauline Latham | 285,662 (95,220.67) | 39.5 |
| | Labour | Mel Read, Phillip Whitehead Angela Billingham, Susan Waddington, Valerie Vaz, Veronica Hardstaff, John Mann | 206,756 (103,378) | 28.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nick Clegg Susan Barber, Ash Vadher, Lisa Gabriel, Brian Niblett, Lesley Dunbar | 92,398 | 12.7 |
| | UKIP | Hugh Meechan, Edward Spalton, Derek Clark, David Barraclough, Barry Mahoney, Dusan Torbica | 54,800 | 7.6 |
| | Green | Gaynor Backhouse, Geoffrey Forse, Brian Fewster, Sue Blount, Ashley Baxter, Jill Bullock | 38,954 | 5.4 |
| | Leeds Left Alliance | Ken Coates, Tony Simpson, Jill Dawn, Peter Jackson, Peter McGowan, Robert West | 17,409 | 2.4 |
| | Pro-Euro Conservative | Freddie de Lisle, John Szermerey, Julien Goodman, Katheryn Stokes, Greg Chadwick, Clive Stoddart | 11,359 | 1.6 |
| | BNP | Steven Belshaw, Adrian Belshaw, Barry Roberts, Neil Phillips, Edward Sheppard, Michael Coleman | 9,342 | 1.3 |
| | Socialist Labour | David Roberts, Paul Liversuch, Valerie Seabright, Thea Hutt, Stanley Taylor, Stephen Marvin | 5,528 | 0.8 |
| | Natural Law | Russell France, Susan Lincoln, Patricia Saunders, David Cooke, Andrew Doughty, Neil Allison | 1,525 | 0.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 723,733 | 22.8 |