BRUSSELS (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May says her Conservative Party's drubbing in EU elections shows the need for Parliament to pass a Brexit deal and take the U.K. out of the European Union.

May's Conservatives came a humiliating fifth with less than 10% of the vote. The Brexit Party, which backs leaving the EU without a deal, came first.

May — who is stepping down as Conservative leader in June — said it had been a "very disappointing night" for the party.

She said the result "shows the importance of finding a Brexit deal, and I sincerely hope these results focus minds in Parliament."

The result bolsters those who want Britain to leave the EU with no agreement on departure terms and future relations.

Most economists say that would cause economic turmoil and plunge Britain into recession.