APATHY towards the European elections could open the door to extremists like the BNP, a Kent Euro MP has warned.

A survey of British voters has suggested that only 18 per cent of those eligible intend to vote in the European elections in June.

The same survey suggested only nine per cent believe Europe or the EU to be an important issue for the country.

Mark Watts, the Kent Labour MEP, warned the apathy factor could be exploited by extremist parties. He stressed: “Only the extremists can benefit from a low turnout in the European elections.

"Anti-Europeans are fanatical, while ordinary British voters, who take a pragmatic view of Europe, might feel they can afford to give this vote a miss.

"If they did then extremist parties had a better chance of deciding important laws on employment rights, the environment, food quality and transport.

But Kent Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan argued the survey showed the EU ought to have fewer powers.

He said: “The usual pro-European argument is that if you give the EU more powers, then people will take it more seriously and voter turnout will increase. But over the last 20 years, the European Parliament has been given more powers and the more power it has, the less people like it.

“It seems to me that if people persistently show their disdain for the European Parliament, then why not give it fewer powers? And why not give those powers to institutions to which people feel more affinity, like national governments?”

Nigel Farage, who represents the south east region as a UK Independence Party MEP, predicted turnout would actually be higher than polls were forecasting.

He said: “I think people are becoming so cheesed off about the whole thing that they will come out and register a protest vote. UKIP was not a well-known party in 1999 but it is now and people understand what we want.”

He added: “Sadly, an increasingly large number of people hold politicians in contempt and there is a good reason for that and that is we have virtually no powers at all. All the powers are held by unelected people and organisations.”

The turnout in the last European elections in the UK was 24 per cent – the lowest of the countries where elections were held.