A mammoth counting operation has got underway in the UK as European election votes are tallied up in what is expected to be a sensational victory for the Brexit Party.
Millions of stuffed ballot boxes have started to be emptied with polls predicting that Nigel Farage's hardline Eurosceptic movement will thrash the two mainstream parties whose vote share is poised to collapse.
The first results will start to be announced after 10pm when polling stations in Italy - the final EU country to vote - close and there is no risk of the outcome in Britain influencing how other nation's cast their ballots.
Projections show that turnout has increased to up 38 per cent, an increase of 2 per cent from 2014 and suggest the Brexit Party will return the most amount of MEPs to Brussels.
These elections were not meant to happen in the UK but the delay to the Brexit departure date meant that Britain is required to send a new batch of politicians to the EU Parliament.
An Electoral Commission forecast this evening put the Brexit Party's projected MEP haul at 24, followed by the Lib Dems at 15 and Labour at 14.
Early indications suggest a bad night for the governing Conservative Party who will likely receive a drubbing and return only 10 MEPs - down nine from 2014.
Counting begins for the East Midlands region at the European Parliamentary elections count at the Kettering Conference Centre
Election staff making piles of ballot papers as they count the votes for the European Elections
Nigel Farage's Brexit Party is expected to dominate the elections taking away swathes of Tory voters. Pictured: Staff counting votes in Birmingham
Countdown: The announcement of the results is just hours away as staff begin counting at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham
Ballot papers for The Brexit Party are collected as counting begins for the East Midlands region
Counting of votes for the European election gets under way at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre
The last poll before Britons voted put Farage's Brexit Party on 37%, the Lib Dems in second on 19, Labour on 13%, the Greens on 12% and the Conservatives in fifth on 7%.
Farage has also called himself a 'king maker' in the Conservative Party leadership battle.
The Brexit Party leader claimed that leadership hopefuls would have to earn his support if they wanted to be in with a chance of winning.
How and when are the votes counted, and when will we get a glimpse of the result in the European elections?
4PM: Exit polls from Germany should start to offer some clues as to who is in the lead - as it is the biggest country in Europe
6PM: Further exit polls from Spain and France will follow, providing a clearer picture
7PM: The European Parliament publish publish a first projection for all seats based on exit polls in 12 countries. After 7PM it will then include results from Poland, as and when they are available
9PM: Another projection will be published once the votes have been counted in Italy
10.15PM: Provisional results expected from the European Parliament
Monday 27 May: Parties discuss results, with the leaders of the four pro EU groups set to meet in the evening to agree a push to have one of their own appointed EU chief executive
Tuesday 28 May: Parliament’s Conference of Presidents meet in the morning
3PM: National leaders meet in Brussels to debate their next move
Speaking to Fox News he said that the new Prime Minister would have to accept the Brexiteer's policy of a no-deal Brexit.
He boasted that his success at the European Parliament elections would set him up as a kingmaker in the heated contest.
'On Sunday night, we get the results of the European elections. The Conservative Party will get less than 10 percent of the vote.
'The Brexit Party which I founded six weeks ago is expected to top the polls with 35 percent.
'Whoever the Conservatives choose, whether it's Boris or not, without my support they won't win the next election.'
Estimates from Number Cruncher Politics UK revealed that national turnout was up by around 38 per cent.
Some of the strongest increases were where the Green Party
