If you're in the Greens that is.The Greens haven't had a reversal of fortune in the euro elections, far from it - although the Greens story is almost absent from the mainstream reporting. In fact they've grown their vote more than any other party nationally, and they seem to be well set-up for more electoral success in their stronghold areas down south, like Brighton.

The sad part is, this hasn't been enough to get the Greens more MEPs, and the gains aren't as big as I was hoping. Of course, I'm particularly disappointed that we didn't get a Green MSP in Scotland, although it looks as though the Greens took the biggest share of the vote in Scotland that they've ever taken. 

Nationally, the turn-out was dismal, and the disillusionment with 'business as usual' parties palpable. Politics seems to have splintered into all sorts of unpredictable and strange directions - the most inexplicable is the dirft to the right represented by the fact that the Tories vote held up, and a surprisingly strong UKIP vote. It is astonishing to see the Tories do so well in Wales, for example, whilst the SNP have also made history - coming top in a national poll for the first time.

The fact that the BNP gained two MEP's is really depressing, especially considering that less people voted for them in this election than in the last Euro election. So even though there has in reality been a downturn in support for the BNP, they have gained because so few people on the left bothered to vote.

In times of economic strife you'd perhaps expect Left leaning parties to do better. It's hardly a surprise that Labour are down. But I was surprised to see the LibDems down too. This seems to leave the Greens as the only 'progressive' left leaning party to have gained something out of these Euro elections. The trouble is that gain was not enough.

You know I can understand right leaning people wanting to give the established parties a 'bloody nose' in the Euro elections. All this MPs expenses stuff must be particularly hard to stomach if you generally dislike the state anyway, and resent paying tax for the good of anyone else. However, if you're an intelligent (i.e non BNP voting) right winger, then well, UKIP is the only place you probably feel you can put a protest vote - or at least that's what the polls seem to saying.

But hang on - have you seen how bonkers the UKIP candidates are? Check out this article in the Herald this morning. It transpires that the leader of Scottish UKIP, freely admits that he thinks he can use supernatural 'mind control' to encourage people to vote for him. Clearly he's mad as a bag of ferrets. Or in his own words:

"I have been able to unblock my psychic sense and through that gift I am able to send out and pick up communications. If I go to a hustings meeting I am able to go on and, unannounced, put the message out through telepathy."

However, if they were just mad then that would be ok, in a sort of bless them, they're like a tory version of the yogic flyers...but no. If you're considering voting UKIP as a consequence of the expenses thing, please,please bear the following in mind:

• In a masterstroke of circular reasoning, their leader seems to use the fact that he's claimed more than £2MILLION in expenses as an argument for abolishing the EU. He's certainly trying to 'Be The Change.'
• Another UKIP MEP, Ashley Mote, was arrested for benefits fraud.
• Another one has recently been accused of money laundering.
• Robert Kilroy Silk (the less said about him the better).
• Despite having way more cash than the Greens, they've not managed to publish any of their MEP expenses.

So, UKIP. Not just mad, but also dangerous and unfit for government anywhere. Even in Brussels.

And I know, you're still a right winger, and so could never bring yourself to vote for the Greens. But please at least note that the Green MEP Caroline Lucas was voted MEP of the year last year and she has published all her expenses.