UK minister warns about protest votes at EU elections

LONDON – A senior British minister is warning that the upcoming European Parliament elections will be seen by some as “the ultimate protest vote opportunity,” as polls suggest that populists could unseat Britain’s mainstream parties amid the country’s ongoing Brexit chaos.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds told the BBC Sunday there’s no doubt that the May 23 EU elections in Britain will be difficult for Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives.

Two recent polls suggest that the newly formed Brexit Party, headed by pro-Brexit politician Nigel Farage, could win big at both the EU vote and any British general election, at the expense of the Conservatives and the main opposition Labour Party.

May had wanted to lead Britain out of the EU before the bloc’s elections, but Brexit remains on hold amid political deadlock.