Endorsements in the 2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom

Various newspapers, organisations and individuals endorsed parties or individual candidates for the 2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom.

Newspapers

Newspaper	Endorsement
Daily Mail		Conservative Party, Brexit Party in strategic electorates [1]
Evening Standard		Liberal Democrats [2]
The Guardian The Observer		Pro-EU candidates [3] [4]
The News Letter (Belfast)		Unionist candidates [5]
The Sun		Brexit Party [1]
Sunday Mail (Scotland)		Scottish Green Party [6]
Sunday Mirror		Labour Party [7]

Online publications

• The ConservativeHome blog and its editor Paul Goodman implied endorsing, or appeared to suggest, abstaining from the elections. ^[8]
• The online magazine Spiked endorsed the Brexit Party. ^[9]
• The online newspaper Human Events endorsed the Brexit Party. ^[10]
• The online newspaper The Independent endorsed candidates that can "best influence EU lawmaking". ^[11]

Organisations

• The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland encouraged voters in Northern Ireland to give their second preferences to other candidates opposed to Brexit. ^[12]
• The Communication Workers Union (CWU) endorsed the Labour Party. ^[13]
• The leadership of Mebyon Kernow endorsed the Green Party. ^[14]
• The Communist Party of Britain through its official organ the Morning Star called for a boycott of the European elections. ^[15]
• The Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist–Leninist) endorsed the Brexit Party. ^[16]
• For Britain , a far-right party, supported independent candidate Tommy Robinson. ^[17]
• The Gibraltar Social Democrats encouraged voters in Gibraltar to vote for parties opposed to Brexit or supporting a second referendum. ^[18]
• The Loyalist Communities Council, an umbrella group for illegal loyalist paramilitary groups, called on voters to support unionist parties. ^[19]
• The Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK (MPAC UK) encouraged voting for Labour, the Greens, the SNP or Plaid Cymru. ^[20]
• The New Communist Party of Britain through its official organ The New Worker encouraged a boycott of the election. ^[21]
• Remain United, a website set up by activist Gina Miller to encourage tactical voting in the EU elections to maximise the number of MEPs who support remaining in the EU, ^[22] made an initial recommendation in early May, based on a ComRes poll, that people should vote for the Liberal Democrats in England, the SNP in Scotland and Plaid Cymru in Wales. ^[23]
• Sinn Féin encouraged voters in Northern Ireland to give their second preferences to other candidates opposed to Brexit. ^{[24] [25]}
• The Socialist Workers Party through its official organ The Socialist Worker endorsed the Labour Party. ^[26]
• Together Gibraltar encouraged voters in Gibraltar to vote for parties opposed to Brexit and supporting a second referendum, specifically naming Change UK, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party. ^[18]

Individuals

Brexit Party

• Jamie Bryson, unionist activist in Northern Ireland. ^[27]
• Derek Chisora, professional boxer. ^{[28] [29]}
• George Galloway, former Labour and Respect Party MP. ^[30]
• Jeremy Hosking, businessperson and former donor to the Conservatives. ^[31]
• Lee Hurst, comedian. ^[32]
• Václav Klaus, former president and inaugural Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. ^{[33] [34]}
• Tim Martin, businessman. ^[35]
• Tim Montgomerie, political activist, blogger, and columnist. ^[36]
• Douglas Murray, The Spectator journalist. ^[37]
• Patrick O'Flynn, Social Democratic Party MEP (elected as a UKIP MEP in 2014). ^[38]
• Allison Pearson, author and newspaper columnist. ^[39]
• Peter Shilton, former England goalkeeper ^[40]
• Steven Woolfe, independent MEP (elected as a UKIP MEP in 2014). ^[41]

Change UK

• Martin Bell, former independent MP, UNICEF ambassador and reporter. ^[42]
• Dan Hodges, columnist. ^[43]
• Jane Kennedy, former Labour minister and MP and sitting independent Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner. ^[44]

Conservative Party

• Jan Zahradil, President and Spitzenkandidat ('lead candidate' for election as President of the European Commission) of the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe. ^[45]

Green Party

• Steve Backshall, naturalist, writer and television presenter. ^[46]
• Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, celebrity chef, television personality, journalist and food writer. ^[47]
• Matt Haig, novelist and journalist. ^[48]
• Duncan Jones, film director, producer and screenwriter. ^[49]
• Robin Lustig, journalist and radio broadcaster. ^[50]
• Augustus Prew, actor. ^[51]
• Peter Reid, football manager. ^[52]
• Jolyon Rubinstein, actor, writer, producer and director. ^[53]
• Jack Thorne, screenwriter and playwright. ^[54]
• Dick Cole, member of Cornwall Council and the leader of Mebyon Kernow. ^[55]

Labour Party

• Thom Brooks, political philosopher and legal scholar. ^[56]
• Rob Delaney, American comedian, actor and writer. ^[57]
• Dawn Foster, journalist, broadcaster and author. ^[58]
• Nikhil Goyal, American journalist, activist and author. ^[59]
• Adam Howden, actor. ^[60]
• Owen Jones, political commentator and activist. ^[61]
• Mark McGowan, performance artist and political activist. ^[62]
• Zoe Williams, journalist. ^[63]

Liberal Democrats

• Rafael Behr, political commentator. ^[58]
• Mitch Benn, comedian, author and musician. ^[64]
• Georgie Bingham, radio and television presenter ^[65]
• Katy Brand, actor, comedian and writer. ^[66]
• Simon Callow, actor, musician, writer, and theatre director. ^[67]
• Michael Cashman, Labour peer, former actor. ^[68]
• Andrew Cooper, Conservative peer, pollster and David Cameron's former Director of Strategy, who subsequently had the Conservative whip suspended due to his endorsement. ^[69]
• Greg Dyke, media executive, football administrator, journalist and broadcaster. ^[70]
• Jenny Eclair, comedian, novelist and actor. ^[71]
• Simon Fraser, former Permanent Secretary. ^[72]
• Joseph Garcia, Deputy Chief Minister of Gibraltar and leader of the Liberal Party of Gibraltar. ^[73]
• Bamber Gascoigne, television presenter and author. ^[74]
• Julie Girling, independent MEP (elected as a Conservative MEP in 2014). ^{[75] [76]}
• David Allen Green, lawyer and writer. ^[77]
• Michael Heseltine, Conservative peer and former Deputy Prime Minister, ^[78] who subsequently had the Conservative whip suspended due to his endorsement. ^[79] He later had the Whip restored over five years later in July 2024.
• James Hurst, footballer. ^[80]
• Emma Kennedy, actress, writer and television presenter. ^[81]
• Andrew MacKinlay, former Labour MP for Thurrock. ^[82]
• Peter Oborne, journalist ^[83]
• James O'Brien, broadcaster and journalist. ^[84]
• Gus O'Donnell, former Cabinet Secretary. ^[68]
• Matthew Parris, former Conservative MP for West Derbyshire, writer and broadcaster. ^[85]
• Susan Penhaligon, actress and writer. ^[86]
• Guy Verhofstadt, former Prime Minister of Belgium, leader of the ALDE group and currently the European Parliament's representative in the Brexit negotiations. ^[87]

Individual candidates

• Donald Tusk, President of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Poland, endorsed Jacek Rostowski, a Change UK candidate for London. ^[88]
• Julia Hartley-Brewer, broadcaster and newspaper columnist, endorsed Martin Daubney, a Brexit party candidate for the West Midlands. ^[89]

Mixed endorsements

• David Blanchflower, economist and academic, endorsed voting for parties in favour of remaining in the European Union. ^[90]
• Jonathan Freedland, journalist and author, endorsed the Liberal Democrats or Greens. ^[91]
• Gaby Hinsliff, journalist, endorsed the Liberal Democrats, Greens or Change UK in England, and SNP or Plaid Cymru in Scotland and Wales. ^[58]
• Katie Hopkins, newspaper columnist and chat show host, endorsed the Brexit Party, unless voters had a UKIP MEP that they loved. ^[92]
• David McNarry, former leader of UKIP in Northern Ireland, endorsed voting for unionist parties. ^[93]
• Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar and leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, encouraged voting for candidates opposed to Brexit. ^[73]
• Alan Sugar (independent member of the House of Lords, formerly Labour) urged voters to not vote for Labour. ^[94]

References

1. The hype around Nigel Farage is designed to make us forget he led Britain into an ugly era of chaos | The Independent | The Independent
2. "Evening Standard comment: Our view on European poll – your vote matters". Evening Standard. 22 May 2019.
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5. "A large unionist vote tomorrow will send a signal on the backstop". www.newsletter.co.uk.
6. "Sunday Mail backs Scottish Green Party in European elections". Daily Record. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
7. "Voice of the Sunday Mirror: We depend on Labour for a fit future". Daily Mirror. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
8. "If May isn't on her way out by the end of today, don't back her in tomorrow's European elections". Conservative Home.
9. O'Neill, Brendan (22 April 2019). "If you believe in democracy, then vote for the Brexit Party". Spiked Online. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
10. "Nigel Roars Back: Human Events Endorses Brexit Party". Human Events. 23 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
11. "No, these European elections are not another Brexit referendum". The Independent. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
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28. Heaver, Michael (16 May 2019). "Amazing to have the support of @DerekWarChisora and @micky_norcross at the Sugar Hut!pic.twitter.com/PEaWinIi3M". Twitter. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
29. Domin, Martin (16 May 2019). "Dereck Chisora joins Nigel Farage at Brexit Party rally". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
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31. Sebastian Payne (10 May 2019). "Leading Conservative backer switches support to Brexit party" . Financial Times. Retrieved 20 May 2019. 'The European elections have become, by default, a second referendum ...' Mr Hosking told the FT. 'Therefore anybody who backs Brexit must back the Brexit party.'
32. Hurst, Lee (20 May 2019). "OK Remoaners hate me now. I've just sent @brexitparty_uk my 25 quid. I once went on a day trip to Boulogne as a 9 year old with my Primary School, so clearly I'm a shadowy foreign donor".
33. "Former President of the Czech Republic Václav Klaus says Europe needs The Brexit Party to win this Thursday.pic.twitter.com/ppu8ttdNMi". 21 May 2019.
34. Sparrow, Andrew; Rawlinson, Kevin; O'Carroll, Lisa; Parveen, Nazia; Brooks, Libby (21 May 2019). "Brexit: Tory MPs abandoning May after second referendum offer – as it happened" – via www.theguardian.com.
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38. Patrick O'Flynn [@oflynnmep] (19 May 2019). "Even though they are standing against me in Peterborough (and I oppose their Thatcherite/libertarian philosophy), I can't wait to vote for the Brexit Party on Thursday. Also well done to Nigel Farage for creating it in time to teach the establishment a massive lesson" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 May 2019– via Twitter.
39. Allison Pearson (14 May 2019). "Why people like me are flocking to the Brexit Party" . The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group.
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41. Woolfe, Steven (15 May 2019). "I am a registered supporter".
42. Bell, Martin (9 May 2019). "Why I'm backing Gavin Esler in the rewarding nightmare of standing for election" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
43. Hodges, Dan [@DPJHodges] (23 May 2019). "Just got back. In the end I voted Change UK. Disagree 100% with their Brexit stance. But I spent years demanding Labour MPs have the courage to take a stand, and actually do something about what's happened to their party. And they did. That's more important than logos" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 May 2019– via Twitter.
44. Josh Halliday (20 May 2019). "Labour is broken to the core, says former Blair minister Jane Kennedy". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
45. Zahradil, Jan [@ZahradilJan] (11 April 2019). "Postponing #Brexit deadline until October + flexibility to leave earlier is a reasonable compromise. I stay confident we will reach a deal that works for both sides. In the meantime, we in the @ecrgroup will of course welcome our @ConMEPs friends back if they hold #EPelections" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
46. Green Party of England and Wales (23 May 2019). "Wildlife presenter Steve Backshall is voting Green". Facebook . Retrieved 24 May 2019.
47. Fearnley-Whittingstall, Hugh (22 May 2019). "I'm voting #Green tomorrow for a People's Vote and a People's Planet. I.e. one that's actually worth living on. #getoutforthegreenparty #peoplesvote". @HughFW. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
48. Matt Haig [@matthaig1] (20 May 2019). "Labour are lost. Change are the Same. ... So if you're going to vote, You'd better vote GREEN" (Tweet). Retrieved 20 May 2019– via Twitter.
49. Jones, Duncan (18 May 2019). "The beauty of proportional representation is that you don't have to fear voting for a smaller party. Your vote still has power, unlike first past the post. Unlike our national election, the EU election uses PR. This means that you voting green MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE! Vote GREEN". @ManMadeMoon. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
50. Lustig, Robin (17 May 2019). "How I'm going to vote next Thursday – and why: 'We're heading for some very stormy political waters. We'll need strong stomachs and clear heads – and we'll need to keep our wits about us.'". @robinlustig. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
51. Augustus Prew [@AugustusPrew] (20 May 2019). "I just voted GREEN in the EU election. Categorically remain and send a clear message that the climate crisis is my number 1 priority? Yes please! ..." (Tweet). Retrieved 20 May 2019– via Twitter.
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53. Rubinstein, Jolyon (23 May 2019). "Today I voted for @CarolineLucas & the @TheGreenParty In this video I explain why.pic.twitter.com/6Wp7TFTCPm". @JolyonRubs. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
54. Thorne, Jack (23 May 2019). "I've voted (Green incidentally, the first time I've not voted Labour, and it hurt). Please please please vote, these elections may not seem as important as a General Election but they are going to be a battering ram as to our future". @jackthorne. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
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57. Delaney, Rob (23 May 2019). "Wish I could vote @UKLabour today! (I spent the first 4 decades of my life with the sort of "health care" system the Brexit Party, the Tories and the Lib Dems would like you to have. And it sucks!)". @robdelaney. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
58. Hinsliff, Gaby; Chakrabortty, Aditya; Sodha, Sonia; Behr, Rafael; Foster, Dawn (22 May 2019). "How to vote in the European elections? Our panel's verdicts | The panel". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 22 May 2019.
59. Goyal, Nikhil (23 May 2019). "Vote Labour, folks". @nikhilgoya_l. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
60. Howden, Adam (23 May 2019). "I voted @UKLabour today in the EU election. Voting Lib Dem will solve nothing. We will not forget their coalition of shite. If you can't vote for Labour today then please vote Green". @A_HOWDZ. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
61. Owen Jones [@OwenJones84] (18 May 2019). "A bunch of racist Thatcherites are on course to win next week's elections ..." (Tweet). Retrieved 18 May 2019– via Twitter.
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63. Zoe Williams (21 May 2019). "Why remainers should keep the faith and vote Labour on Thursday". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
64. Benn, Mitch (23 May 2019). "Remainer Pals: I get that it's hard to forgive the LibDems for enabling the Tories back in 2010 but a couple of points: ..." @MitchBenn. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
65. Bingham, Georgie (23 May 2019). "Just did". @georgiebingham. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
66. Katy Brand (15 May 2019). "Vote LibDem on May 23rd if you want to defeat Farage and his Brexit Party. It's not over yet". @KatyFBrand– via Twitter.
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68. Mason, Rowena (22 May 2019). "Trio of Tory, Labour and independent peers back Lib Dems in EU elections". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 22 May 2019.
69. Devlin, Kate; Wright, Oliver; Zeffman, Henry (22 May 2019). "Cameron peer Lord Cooper is latest Tory to back Lib Dems" . The Times . London. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
70. "Greg Dyke urges Remainers to vote Lib Dem". Liberal Democrat Voice. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
71. Eclair, Jenny (22 May 2019). "I'm voting Lib Dem tomorrow/ this isn't partic a strategic vote – I'd be voting Lib Dem anyway". @jennyeclair. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
72. Fraser, Simon (21 May 2019). "In England, best way to vote in EP election this week, both on substance and tactics, has to be Lib Dem". @SimonFraser00. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
73. "GSLP & Liberal Party leaders call for vote to stop Brexit in European Elections". Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
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77. Green, David Allen (19 May 2019). "Ok, politics. Was unhappy with what the Lib Dems did in coalition, and they nodded along with dreadful stuff in legal aid, secret courts, judicial review, etc. No excuses (and I know the excuses). But. Time to support them again, on a small l-liberal, internationalist basis". @davidallengreen. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
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80. "James Hurst".
81. Emma Kennedy (15 May 2019). "Agree. All aboard the Lib Dem train, Remainers. Let's do this". @EmmaKennedy– via Twitter.
82. watson, iain (19 May 2019). "'Former @UKLabour MP for leave-voting Thurrock Andrew Mackinlay says he has '52 years membership if Labour' but while 'It hurts...to have reached the decision that I have today' ..'The only major party representing my beliefs in the European Union is the Liberal Democrats.'".
83. Oborne, Peter (22 May 2019). "Me too".
84. O'Brien, James (23 May 2019). "Me too / why-i-ll-vote-lib-dem-for-the-first-time-in-my-life-9x6mj82t0 …". @mrjamesob. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
85. Parris, Matthew (21 May 2019). "Why I'll vote Lib Dem for the first time in my life". The Times. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
86. Cable, Vince (21 May 2019). "I've just heard that actress Susan Penhaligon will be voting @LibDems on Thursday. Thank you for your support! #StopBrexit".
87. Benjamin Kentish (11 May 2019). "Liberal Democrats are 'only pro-European party in Britain', Guy Verhofstadt says". The Independent. ESI Media.
88. Thomas Colson (20 May 2019). "Donald Tusk tells voters to back Change UK candidate in European elections to stop Brexit". Business Insider. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
89. Hartley-Brewer, Julia (25 April 2019). "My mate @MartinDaubney is standing for the @brexitparty_uk. He's an all round good bloke and would make an excellent MEP – whichever party he stood for!".
90. Blanchflower, Danny (19 May 2019). "Nobody should listen to a word …". @D_Blanchflower. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
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92. Hopkins, Katie (22 May 2019). "BIG DAY IN BRITAIN. ..." Retrieved 23 May 2019.
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94. Sugar, Lord (23 May 2019). "you can stop the communist @jeremycorbyn DONT VOTE LABOUR" . Retrieved 23 May 2019.