Nigel Farage was unsurprisingly furious at the result of last night’s Brexit vote – but the former Ukip leader’s Twitter strop landed him in a rather embarrassing position.
On Wednesday evening, 309 MPs voted in favour of putting into law that MPs would get a meaningful vote on the Brexit deal agreed with Brussels.
Just 305 MPs sided with the government, giving the rebels victory and with it, Theresa May’s first Parliamentary defeat as prime minister.
Some 12 Tory MPs voted against the Government, including vice chair of the Conservative Party Stephen Hammond, who was sacked from the position after his rebellion. However, only 11 are technically rebels as John Stevenson voted both ‘aye’ and no’.
Never one to worry about overdoing the sour grapes, Farage tweeted his displeasure:
And mine for people who travel thousands of miles to endorse a groper of young girls who also happens to be a racist homophobe. Time for a period of silence. https://t.co/5g1XS43nUI
December 13, 2017
And few people couldn’t help but see a little irony in Farage’s statement…
You co-founded UKIP when you were 29 and you’ve been an MEP since you were 35. https://t.co/wHuZnrbbAd
Nigel Farage has been an MEP for over 18 years. He has been campaigning for a seat in Westminster since 1994. https://t.co/xJYhkdiM4d
Good to see seven time by-election and general election candidate Nigel Farage MEP sticking it to the career politicians…
You’re keeping your £73,000 a year EU pension you’re getting as a result of your many years as a career politician, you fatuous duplicitous paedophile-candidate-supporting bellend https://t.co/AjKYm6fGH6
December 13, 2017
Says the politician who has made a career out of pretending he wanted Parliament to take back control (which it just did.) #Amendment7 https://t.co/qFBdlgAu2t
December 13, 2017
Nigel Farage, seen here showing contempt for a career politician pic.twitter.com/f5lmNpiuO1
Despite standing on seven different occasions, Farage has so far never managed to be elected as an MP.
After Wednesday’s defeat, a government spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that Parliament has voted for this amendment despite the strong assurances that we have set out.
“We are as clear as ever that this Bill, and the powers within it, are essential.
“This amendment does not prevent us from preparing our statute book for exit day. We will now determine whether further changes are needed to the Bill to ensure it fulfills its vital purpose.”
Jeremy Corbyn described it as “humiliating” for the prime minister.