The borough of Knowsley in Merseyside appeared to have become the capital of voter apathy yesterday after figures revealed that just over one in five people in the area had voted in the European elections.
The borough, which sits between Liverpool and St Helens, recorded the lowest turnout in the North-West region – and possibly the UK – with 21.6% of the population voting on Thursday, compared with a national average of 34.3%.
In the 2004 European election, turnout in the constituency reached 33%, due in part to the introduction of postal voting. But in 1999 just 14% of people voted. "We do have quite an ongoing problem with low turnout, to be honest," said a spokeswoman for Knowsley council.
Around Europe, 375 million people in 27 member states were eligible to vote in last week's elections. According to European parliament data the highest turnout was registered in Belgium – 91% – where voting is mandatory. The lowest turnout was registered in Lithuania – 15%. The overall turnout was down to a record low of 43%.
