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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Amardeep Bassey

Tommy Robinson did so badly in the European elections he lost his £5,000 deposit

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has been left humiliated after trailing in eighth place in his bid to become the MEP for the the North West region.

The Independent candidate polled just 2,171 votes in the Manchester count area compared to the winning Labour candidate who got more than 40,000 votes.

He had pledged to represent "the working class of England" if elected as an Independent MEP and told reporters at the count that "Nigel Farage will aboslutely smash it."

Tommy Robinson the independent candidate arrives ahead of the result in the European Parliamentary elections count at the Central Convention Complex in Manchester (PA)

Anti-extremism campaigners Hope Not Hate called for voters to oppose him.

And Robinson did so badly in the elections that he has actually lost his £5,000 deposit in the process.

Speaking at the Manchester count, the former EDL leader said he had faced a "near impossible task" in attempting to win one of the eight seats available.

He said that it was not a fair campaign as he was unable to get across his anti-immigration message online because he'd been banned by social media sites.

Tommy Robinson at the count (Liam Thorpe Liverpool Echo)

Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, spoke after arriving at the count in Manchester Central convention centre - where his supporters donned yellow vests outside.

Anti-Robinson protesters also chanted as he arrived at the count this evening.

In a video to his 45,000 followers on Telegram, the encrypted app where he coordinated his campaign, Robinson said he was “gutted” at his showing.

“My wife’s up here so I’m gonna get out of here, go see my wife,” he said before thanking supporters for “keeping me alive, because I genuinely didn’t think I’d be alive by the end of it, with what was happening”

Tommy Robinson the independent candidate arrives ahead of the result in the European Parliamentary elections count should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire (PA)

There was a large police presence that saw dozens of officers deployed and more than 15 police cars and vans parked on streets next to the counting hall.

Turn out for the North West in the Euro elections - which were not meant to take place in the UK but for Brexit being postponed to October 31 - was as low as 33 per cent.

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