The leader of the Conservative Party MEPs has given his backing to calls to reform the electoral system used in European elections.

Speaking to ePolitix.com, Jonathan Evans said the current system, in which multiple MEPs represent large UK regions, was in need of "urgent review".

His comments came after the Labour leader in the Brussels parliament, Gary Titley, told this website that "after these elections there is going to have to be a complete rethink about the electoral system as part of the review of PR as a whole".

Moves to review the current system now appear to be gaining cross-party backing.

"If there is one area where I think we are in need of some urgent review of the structure of the European parliament, it is the concession that Gary Titley made in his interview with you that the current structure has meant that MEPs are anonymous within the vast euro-constituencies that his Labour government has created," Evans said.

"I am glad that he now recognises that his government's determination to drive this structure through, in the teeth of opposition from the Conservatives, was a negative.

"I think that his concession that the structure is one which we should review is welcome.

"I think we should review it because ultimately democracy depends on having electors who are able to at least identify who their public representative is."

Evans also suggested that the media coverage generated by the UK Independence Party would not be reflected in the support it receives at the ballot box.

"I certainly think that the press and the media have generated acres of coverage for UKIP that is going to be wholly disproportionate to the contribution of votes that they are likely to get at the end of the day," he said.

And the MEP added that his party expects to pick up support from both Labour and the Liberal Democrats on June 10.

"I would say that probably at the European elections in 1999, our appeal in that election was just to core Conservative voters," he told ePolitix.com.

"I think we have a much wider appeal in this election campaign and it is certainly the response that I get that a significant number of the people who are clearly deserting the Labour Party are coming directly over to supporting the Conservative Party in this election."