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Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader who sparked the process for the Brexit referendum, was jeered when he addressed the European Parliament this morning, but also got some cheers when he said the Union was failing to heed the people.

Boos broke out when he rose to address the extraordinary plenary sitting, to which he retorted "thank you for the warm welcome."

He recalled that he had been laughed at when, years ago, he insisted that the UK should leave the EU.

"Now you are not laughing any more," he jibed. 

Now you are not laughing any more

The reason why the smiles had been wiped of the MEPs' faces, he said, was because their political project was failing and they were in denial... as was the case of the currency, migration and the situation in the Mediterranean.

"The biggest problem which led the UK to vote Leave was that by stealth and deception you imposed a political union," he said.

In 2005, he said, people who voted against the Lisbon treaty were ignored. 

"What the little people have done, what the people who were oppressed have done, is to reject the multi-nationals, reject big politics. They said we want our country back, our fishing waters, our borders, we want an independent, normal, self-governing nation. That is what must happen."

UK decision was 'beacon of hope'

The UK decision, he said, was a beacon of hope to democrats in the European Parliament. Unless there was change in the EU, the UK would not be the last member state to leave.  

Mr Farage said the UK should not take long to invoke Article 50, kick starting the exit process. 

"What we would like to see is a grown-up and sensible negotiated relationship... I know most of you have never done a proper job in our lives, never worked in business or trade or created a job," he said amid uproar.

Intervening, parliament president Martin Schulz told the MEPs "not to act like Ukip."

He also told Mr Farage he could not make such statements. 

Mr Farage retorted: "Ukip used to protest against the establishment and now the establishment protests against Ukip so something has happened here."

Continuing, he said the EU and the UK do an enormous amount of mutually beneficial business.

"If you decide to cut your noses, spite your faces and reject a sensible trade deal the consequences will be far worse for you than for us. Even no deal is better for the UK than the current rotten deal."  

If trade tariffs were reintroduced, hundreds of thousands of German workers would lose their jobs, he said.

"So let us be sensible and cut a sensible tariff free deal and thereafter recognise that the UK will be your friend, will cooperate with you and be your best friend while it pursues its global ambitions."

'Symbol of freedom'

Mr Farage was followed by far right French leader Marin Le Pen who said the British vote was a symbol of freedom and liberty. It showed how EU membership was not irreversible.

This, she said, was a victory for democracy and a slap on the face of the European system "based on fear and lies".

The British, she said, had seen through the threats and "broken the chains." 

She said she was committed to a similar path of liberty for France.