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| MEPs boo Nigel Farage insults in European parliament | MEPs boo Nigel Farage insults in European parliament |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Nigel Farage has been booed in the European parliament after insulting fellow MEPs during his first appearance in Strasbourg since Britain voted to leave the EU. | Nigel Farage has been booed in the European parliament after insulting fellow MEPs during his first appearance in Strasbourg since Britain voted to leave the EU. |
| Any hopes that the Ukip leader might adopt a more conciliatory tone ahead of the difficult negotiations that lie ahead were dashed by his belligerent speech at an emergency meeting of the parliament on Tuesday. | Any hopes that the Ukip leader might adopt a more conciliatory tone ahead of the difficult negotiations that lie ahead were dashed by his belligerent speech at an emergency meeting of the parliament on Tuesday. |
| After sarcastically thanking his fellow MEPs “for the warm welcome”, Farage said: “When I came here 17 years ago and said I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union you all laughed at me. Well I have to say, you’re not laughing now are you? | After sarcastically thanking his fellow MEPs “for the warm welcome”, Farage said: “When I came here 17 years ago and said I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union you all laughed at me. Well I have to say, you’re not laughing now are you? |
| “And the reason you’re so upset, the reason you’re so angry, has been perfectly clear from all the angry exchanges this morning. You, as a political project, are in denial. You are in denial that your currency is failing.” | “And the reason you’re so upset, the reason you’re so angry, has been perfectly clear from all the angry exchanges this morning. You, as a political project, are in denial. You are in denial that your currency is failing.” |
| He continued in a similarly mocking vein throughout his monologue, at one point, telling MEPs: “Virtually none of you have ever done a proper job in your lives.” | He continued in a similarly mocking vein throughout his monologue, at one point, telling MEPs: “Virtually none of you have ever done a proper job in your lives.” |
| As he was booed and heckled, the parliament’s president, Martin Schulz, tried to restore order, telling MEPs: “I understand that you are emotional, but you’re acting like Ukip normally acts in the chamber. So please don’t imitate them.” | As he was booed and heckled, the parliament’s president, Martin Schulz, tried to restore order, telling MEPs: “I understand that you are emotional, but you’re acting like Ukip normally acts in the chamber. So please don’t imitate them.” |
| His efforts did little to calm the atmosphere as Farage went on to tell MEPs that any attempt to impose trade barriers on the UK would backfire, name-checking German car assembly workers as being among those who would suffer. He said Britain could be “your greatest friend” provided the EU did not thwart its global ambition. | His efforts did little to calm the atmosphere as Farage went on to tell MEPs that any attempt to impose trade barriers on the UK would backfire, name-checking German car assembly workers as being among those who would suffer. He said Britain could be “your greatest friend” provided the EU did not thwart its global ambition. |
| The UK should invoke article 50 of the Lisbon treaty soon to begin its withdrawal from the EU, Farage said. “I don’t think we should spend too long doing it.” | The UK should invoke article 50 of the Lisbon treaty soon to begin its withdrawal from the EU, Farage said. “I don’t think we should spend too long doing it.” |
| The former broker said people were sick of “merchant bankers, multinationals and big politics” controlling them and predicted that more EU countries would follow Britain in leaving the bloc. | The former broker said people were sick of “merchant bankers, multinationals and big politics” controlling them and predicted that more EU countries would follow Britain in leaving the bloc. |
| He was booed as he sat down and a number of MEPs turned their backs on him. | He was booed as he sat down and a number of MEPs turned their backs on him. |
| The first person to speak after Farage was the leader of France’s Front National party, Marine Le Pen, who hailed Britain’s decision as the beginning of a “people’s spring”. | |
| But a number of MEPs who followed were not so complimentary. | But a number of MEPs who followed were not so complimentary. |
| The former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt said: “I am shocked, Mr Farage. You are presenting yourself as the defender of the little man, while you have an offshore financial construction.” | |
| As Farage laughed, Verhofstadt added: “OK, let’s be positive, we are getting rid of the biggest waste of EU budget: your salary.” | As Farage laughed, Verhofstadt added: “OK, let’s be positive, we are getting rid of the biggest waste of EU budget: your salary.” |
| "You're presenting yourself as the defender of the little man - why do you have an offshore financial construction?" https://t.co/Jgs6M7I6XE | "You're presenting yourself as the defender of the little man - why do you have an offshore financial construction?" https://t.co/Jgs6M7I6XE |
| The Ukip leader also received a hostile reception from the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker. After Farage applauded Juncker’s statement that Europe “must respect British democracy and the way it has expressed its view”, the president said: “That’s the last time you are applauding here ... To some extent I am really surprised that you are here. You were fighting for the exit, the British people voted in favour of the exit. Why are you here?” | The Ukip leader also received a hostile reception from the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker. After Farage applauded Juncker’s statement that Europe “must respect British democracy and the way it has expressed its view”, the president said: “That’s the last time you are applauding here ... To some extent I am really surprised that you are here. You were fighting for the exit, the British people voted in favour of the exit. Why are you here?” |