NOMINATIONS closed tonight (Thursday) for the European Parliament elections which will be held on May 22.

The North-East region elects three MEPs, currently one Labour, one Conservative and one Lib Dem. Eight parties have each put forward three candidates, with their first candidate the most likely to be elected.

The North Yorkshire and Humberside region elects six MEPs, currently two Lib Dems (one formerly Conservative), one Conservative, one Labour and two independents (one formerly Ukip, and the other formerly BNP). Nine parties have each put forward six candidates and one, Yorkshire First, has put forward three candidates.

The candidates at the top of the parties' lists are far more likely to be elected than the candidates at the bottom.

These are the top three candidates for each party:

North-East Electoral Region

An Independence From Europe: Sherri Forbes, of Middlesbrough, Nawal Hizan, of Middlesbrough and Mary Forbes, of Ingleby Barwick.

British National Party: Martin Vaughan, South Shields, Lady Dorothy MacBeth Brooke, of Whitley Bay and Peter Foreman, of South Shields.

Conservative Party: Martin Callanan, of Gateshead, Ben Houchen, of Yarm and Andrew Lee, of Tadcaster.

English Democrats: Kevin Riddiough, of Barnsley, Sam Kelly, of Heworth, York and John Lewis, of Dunnington, York.

Green Party: Shirley Ford, of South Shields, Alison Whalley, of Wideopen, Newcastle and Caroline Robinson, of Moorside, Sunderland.

Labour Party: Jude Kirton-Darling, of Hexham, Paul Brannen, of Jesmond, Newcastle and Jayne Shotton, of North Shields.

Liberal Democrats: Angelika Schneider, of Corbridge, Northumberland, Owen Temple, of Consett and Christian Vassie of Wheldrake, York.

UK Independence Party (UKIP): Jonathan Arnott, of Guisborough, Richard Elvin, of Houghton-le-Spring and Phillip Broughton, of Ingleby Barwick.

Yorkshire and the Humber Region

An Independence from Europe: Christopher Booth, of Tamworth, Kerrie Oxenham, of Hampton in Arden, Solihull and Malcolm Snelling of Dorridge, Solihull.

British National Party: Marlene Guest, of Rotherham, Adam Walker, of Spennymoor and Daniel Cooke of Barnsley.

Conservative Party: Timothy Kirkhope, of Scotton, North Yorkshire, Alex Story, of Barnes, London and John Procter, of Leeds.

English Democrats: Chris Beverley, of Wakefield, David Wildgoose, of Sheffield and Ian Sutton, of Barnsley.

Green Party: Andrew Cooper, of Holmfirth, Shan Oakes, of Beverley and Victoria Dunn, of Grimsby.

Labour Party: Linda McAvan, of Sheffield, Richard Corbett, of Shipley and Eleanor Tunnicliffe, of Leeds.

Liberal Democrats: Edward McMillan-Scott, of Wetherby, James Monaghan, of Knaresborough and Joseph Otten, of Sheffield.

NO2EU: Trevor Howard, of Wakefield, Mary Jackson, of Doncaster, Carrie Hedderwick, of Sheffield.

UK Independence Party (UKIP): Jane Collins, of Brough, East Yorkshire, Amjad Mahmood, of Leeds and Mike Hookem, of Hull.

Yorkshire First: Stewart Arnold, Swanland, East Riding of Yorkshire, Richard Carter, of Oslo, Norway and Richard Honnoraty, of Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire.