More pressure on Gordon Brown to quit following party rout in European poll

London, June 8 (ANI): British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is facing a new challenge to his leadership, as his party came third behind the Conservatives and the UKIP in the European elections.

The British National Party won its first two European seats.

The Labour is expected to get just 15 percent of the vote, the party's lowest share since the First World War.

The results have cast a pall of gloom over Downing Street, and Labour supporters.

"This was a very, very big defeat for the Labour Party, what it should tell us is we have to sort out the economy so people feel secure in their financial future," Sky News quoted deputy party leader Harriet Harman, as saying.

She, however, defended Brown by saying: "It is not his fault that there is a global financial economic crisis. His expertise and understanding of the economy will see us through."

In the South East, Labour ended up fifth in terms of the share of the vote - behind the Conservatives, UKIP, Liberal Democrats and Greens.

Labour were also fifth in the South West, and lost their only MEP in that region.

The party improved to third in West Midlands, still behind UKIP, and were the main party in the North East, but still saw support fall 9 percent in that region.

In Wales, Labour's share dropped 12 percent, leaving the Conservatives as the main party. It was the first time Labour had not topped a poll in Wales since 1918.

Conservative leader David Cameron said he was "delighted" with the results.

"Together with the local elections, I think they show an enormous gap opening up between Labour and Conservative - almost getting twice as many votes as Labour last night," he said.

"A general election would be a great, cleansing process for our parliament and political system and would give the country a fresh start," he added. (ANI)