Nigel Farage is not the most popular man in Belgium

Taste of his own medicine? Farage hammered by Euro MEP

Taste of his own medicine? Farage hammered by Euro MEP

 

Nigel Farage has been subject to a tirade which would not have seemed out of place coming from his mouth, after a Belgian MEP lambasted him for "cheating his own citizens".

Former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt accused the Ukip leader of taking a generous salary despite never attending committee meetings.

"What I think is the biggest waste of money in the EU today is the salary we all pay to Mr Farage," he said.

"Oh no, Mr Farage, let's be honest about it, you are member of the fishery committee and you're never there. Never. In 2011 – no attendance. In 2012 – no attendance."

He added: "It's fantastic what you're doing, you are coming here saying it's a scandal, the salaries we are paid, and you pay yourself a salary without doing any labour in your committee."

As Farage laughed and smirked in response to the speech, Verhofstadt  added: "You can laugh. I hope maybe this will be sent out to the BBC this evening and all the private TV in Britain about how you are cheating your own citizens here."

Farage boosted his political capital with a series of explosive tirades in Belgium, of a sort not dissimilar to Verhofstadt's.