The good news for minor parties is they are likely to win more votes in this election than they did in 2001. The bad news is their influence over the next parliament may be no greater than in the past one.

In last year's European parliamentary elections, conducted under proportional representation, the anti-European Union UK Independence party, the Greens, the anti-Iraq war coalition Respect and the far-right British National party together won the support of 4.8m people: 30 per cent of the votes cast.