British MEP faces reprimand after calling Van Rompuy ‘damp rag’

A BRITISH MEP is to be reprimanded by the president of the European Parliament after shouting insults at Herman Van Rompuy, the man who represents the EU leaders.

Nigel Farage, the former head of UKIP, the United Kingdom Independence Party, told Van Rompuy that he had “the charisma of a damp rag” and the appearance of a “low grade bank clerk”.

MEPs objected to his insulting remarks to the former Belgian prime minister.

But it was the British eurosceptic MEP’s description of Belgium as a “non-country” that appeared to upset Van Rompuy.

Afterwards the man who managed to unite his deeply divided country would only say: “There was one contribution only that I can hold in contempt, but I’m not going to comment further.”

The parliament president, Jerzy Buzak, summoned Farage to his office on Tuesday next, to discuss the incident.

Buzak, who is Polish, has pointed out that the Parliament’s rules of procedure say that members’ conduct shall be characterised by mutual respect.

His spokesperson, Inga Rosinska, said: “He would like to see vivid political debate but he will not tolerate the chamber being disrespected, people being subject to personal insults or remarks about their personal appearance.”

Farage, who wants Britain to leave the European Union is well known for heckling and insulting remarks in the parliament.

Now he could face a reprimand, a small fine, being removed from a committee or have his voting rights suspended.

Farage slammed the former Belgian premier’s appearance, personality, pay packet and country, and accused him of plotting the overthrow of the nation state.

Van Rompuy, who had just made his first speech to MEPs since being appointed by EU leaders to the newly-created top job, sat in amazement and obvious discomfort, settling for a half-grin and grimace as the tirade went on.

To gasps from other MEPs in the less-than-full chamber, Farage told Van Rompuy he possessed “all the charisma of a damp rag and the appearance of a low-grade bank clerk”.

Afterwards the Socialist leader, Germany’s Martin Schulz, condemned Farage for “trampling on the dignity of the House”.

Farage declared: “We were told that when we had a president, we’d see a giant global political figure, a man who would be the political leader for 500 million people, the man that would represent all of us all of us on the world stage, the man whose job was so important that of course you’re paid more than President Obama.

“Well, I’m afraid what we got was you... and the question I want to ask is: who are you? I’d never heard of you, nobody in Europe had ever heard of you. I can speak on behalf of the majority of British people in saying that we don’t know you, we don’t want you and the sooner you are put out to grass, the better.”