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McGuinness to Brexit Party MEPs: 'Take your flags with you if you're leaving now'

Mairead McGuinness and Nigel Farage have had a lively exchange in the European Parliament ahead o...
Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

17.04 29 Jan 2020


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McGuinness to Brexit Party MEPs: 'Take your flags with you if you're leaving now'


Stephen McNeice
Stephen McNeice

17.04 29 Jan 2020


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Mairead McGuinness and Nigel Farage have had a lively exchange in the European Parliament ahead of a vote on the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

MEPs spent this afternoon debating the bill, ahead of the agreement being ratified in a vote this evening.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage addressed the Parliament in what will be one of his final contributions before the UK's exit from the bloc on Friday night.

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He argued: "I became an outright opponent of the entire European Project - I want Brexit to start a debate across the rest of the Europe.

"If we want trade, friendship, cooperation, reciprocity... we don't need a European Commission, we don't need a European court, we don't need these institutions and all of this power.

"I can promise you, that in UKIP and in the Brexit Party, we love Europe... we just hate the European Union. It's as simple as that."

Waving a miniature Union Jack, Mr Farage added: "I know you're going to miss us, I know you want to ban our national flags... But we're going to wave you goodbye, and we look forward to working in the future to working with you as sovereign..."

As he continued speaking and as he received a standing ovation from his fellow flag-waving Brexit Party MEPs, Irish MEP Mairead McGuinness - the vice president of the European Parliament - cut Mr Farage off for disobeying parliamentary rules.

Display of banners is banned under the parliament's standards of conduct.

To applause from other MEPs, Ms McGuinness said: "Please sit down, resume your seats, put your flags away... you're leaving, and take them with you if you are leaving now.

"The word 'hate' was used in the last contribution - I really think [...] we should not hate anyone, or any nation, or any people."

Main image: European Parliament

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