Brown on the brink after heavy election losses[de] 

Compounding Labour's woes, the far-right British National Party entered the European Parliament for the first time, winning two seats. 

The BNP gained the seats in two regions of northern England at the expense of Brown's Labour Party, which has been hurt by a scandal over politicians’ expenses. 

Brown, who reshuffled his government after six ministers resigned last week, will this evening meet with Labour members of parliament, a number of whom have called on him to quit. 

However, Brown's supporters defended the prime minister, noting that there was no clear alternative candidate for the Labour leadership. 

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson, who had served as European commissioner until Brown summoned him back to London in October 2008, urged rebel Labour Party politicians to tone down their criticism for fear of making the position of the party and government "even worse". 

The prime minister's departure would almost certainly lead to an early general election, which the centre-right opposition Conservatives are expected to win after 12 years out of power. 

Early estimates for the MEP elections put Labour on 16% of the vote, just behind the anti-European Union UK Independence Party and 11 points adrift of the main opposition Conservatives, who are also critical of the EU. Labour's share of the vote was down about seven points from the last European election in 2004. 

The performance gave fresh ammunition to Brown's critics in the Labour Party after a traumatic week in which one departing minister, James Purnell, called on Brown to step aside and said he was an electoral liability. 

Former finance minister Brown has not faced the electorate since he took over as prime minister from Tony Blair in 2007. 

"If Labour MPs and Gordon Brown don't get the message from these results we are finished," said left-wing Labour MP John McDonnell, noting that Labour's share of the vote was its lowest in a nationwide election since 1910. 

"The message is clear, we need a complete change of political direction," he added. 

(EurActiv with Reuters.)