GLASGOW goes to the polls for the ­European Parliament elections today electing Scotland's six MEPs.

A final day of campaigning saw Labour's Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls in Glasgow with the party's candidates urging people to reject Nigel Farage and Ukip.

Labour and the SNP currently have two seats each in the Parliament, which meets in Brussels and Strasbourg, and the Conservatives and LibDems have one apiece.

There is expectation that the LibDems could lost the sixth seat if the loss of support it experienced in the 2011 Scottish elections continues.

The SNP and Labour are hoping to take a third seat, while the Greens and Ukip are looking to claim their first Scottish MEP.

Despite having no elected representative at any level in Scotland, Ukip's growing popularity in England has all the major parties encouraging people to ­ignore Mr Farage.

Mr Balls, who visited the Chivas bottling plant in Paisley, said: "The important thing for voters to know is that if you're voting for the SNP then you're voting for confusion over Europe, and if you're voting for Nigel Farage, well you're voting for walking away from the biggest single market and electing the heir to Margaret Thatcher, and I think both of those are false choices."

"I think right across the UK, Ukip is looking a bit flakey this week, here in Scotland they don't have any MEPs and hopefully we can keep it that way."

The SNP is also urging voters to reject Ukip and are hoping to win three of the six seats.

First Minister, Alex Salmond, said: "This European election is about securing a team of MEPs who will be a strong voice for Scotland, but it is also an important chance to determine the kind of Scotland we want to live in.

"I would urge people of tolerance from across Scotland's political spectrum to look at the nasty, intolerant agenda of Ukip and use their vote to firmly reject that brand of politics.

"The contest for Scotland's sixth seat is between Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh and Nigel Farage's Ukip, and people of all political shades who want to stop Ukip can play their part and back Tasmina and the SNP in Thursday's vote."

Alistair Carmichael, Scottish Secretary and LibDem MP said he was confident the party would retain its seat, held by George Lyon.

He said: "I don't see ­Labour or the SNP picking up an extra seat, so it will be a straight choice between ourselves and Ukip.

"I am concerned about some of what Ukip do and how they do it.

"It is a populist anti-politics message. They are ­determined to take us out of the EU which would be catastrophic for the Scottish economy."

Scotland will have at least one new MEP if the Tories, as expected retain their seat, as Struan ­Stevenson is stepping down after 15 years.

Their first candidate is Dr Ian Duncan, a former Scottish Parliament EU official from Perthshire, who wants the EU reformed.

Dr Duncan said: "I've seen the EU close up. I have watched Eurocrats creating rules and regulations, indifferent to the impact upon the citizens of Europe.

"Scots want reform, a ­renegotiation of our relationship with Europe.

"And that is what Conservatives stand for change, and then choice in a referendum."

The Greens are hoping they can secure enough votes to take the sixth available seat and send Maggie Chapman and Edinburgh Councillor to Brussels.

Ms Chapman said: "It's impossible to escape ­Farage's face on TV and in the press, yet this blanket coverage bears no relation to what I or any Green ­supporters are finding on the streets.

"Ukip doesn't exist in Scotland and our message of hope, contrasting sharply with Farage's message of hate, is resonating strongly with Scots."

The BNP, Britain First and No2EU are also fielding candidates in the election.