WEB DESK /
The European Parliament today witnessed heated debate over Brexit, the UK’s vote to leave the EU. A central figure in the Leave campaign, UKIP’s Nigel Farage, was booed, called a liar and at one point accused of using “Nazi propaganda”. But in his speech Mr Farage told Parliament members “you as a political project are in denial”. He said, hardly any of them had ever done a proper job in their lives, or created one.
The Parliament was holding a special session ahead of a meeting between EU leader and UK Prime Minister David Cameron – the first such meeting since the UK’s vote later today. Mr Cameron is stepping down, saying it will be up to his successor to trigger the formal method by which the country leaves the EU, and to conduct exit negotiations. The European Parliament voted in favour of a motion urging the UK to do so immediately, by triggering Article 50.
Opening the session in Parliament, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, said the British government should “clarify” its position. Mr Juncker said the will of the British people must be respected, prompting applause from UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage, a key campaigner behind the leave vote. He also accused Mr Farage of lying about using the UK’s EU contributions to fund the country’s National Health Service, saying he had “fabricated reality”.
Meanwhile in a speech to the German Parliament, Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the EU was strong enough to survive without the UK. She said she respected the result and warned the bloc would not tolerate British “cherry-picking” when it came to negotiation