Summary

  • The European Parliament approves the terms of UK's departure from EU

  • It is the final stage in the process before the UK can leave on Friday

  • British MEPs bid farewell - European counterparts say the UK will be missed

  • Earlier, Boris Johnson took part in PMQs, with questions from Jeremy Corbyn and other MPs

  • HS2 comes up repeatedly, with the PM insisting a decision would come "very shortly"

  • Government announces it will take troubled Northern Rail into public ownership

Live Reporting

Kate Whannel and Paul Seddon

  1. Farage: UK 'was too big to bully'

    European Parliament
    Brussels

    Continuing, Mr Farage says he has always believed the EU institutions are not simply undemocratic but "anti-democratic".

    He says in the end the UK has ultimately not been "bullied" into reversing the result of the 2016 referendum, and has proved "too big to bully".

  2. Brexit 'victory for grassroots campaigning' - Farage

    European Parliament
    Brussels

    Nigel Farage tells his farewell press conference in Brussels that he always belied the UK was a "square peg in round hole" when it came to the EU.

    He says Brexit-backing MEPs were seen as "pretty odd" when he first arrived at the assembly in 1999, but Euroscepticism has become "mainstream".

    Brexit, he says, is probably the most important event in British history since the Reformation.

    The event, he adds, is a "victory for grassroots campaigning".

  3. Labour MEP explains half-and-half scarves

    They appeared in a BBC Breakfast piece this morning...

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  4. Farage: I'll miss being the pantomime villain

    Today Programme
    BBC Radio 4

    Before that though, Nigel Farage tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme he is "very happy" to have achieved his political goal of Brexit, although he will miss being the "pantomime villain".

    He says the UK has "made a horlicks" of leaving, and the PM's Brexit deal is "shocking," but predicts Brexit will eventually mark "the beginning of the end for this European project".

    He adds that he disagrees with Irish PM Leo Varadkar that the EU will have the stronger team in the upcoming post-Brexit trade talks.

    He says the UK is in a good position, as many in Europe are "very scared" that the UK will become "more competitive than they are".

  5. Farage to speak to the press shortly

    Nigel Farage will be giving a farewell press conference in Brussels this morning, ahead of the vote this afternoon .

    The MEP, formerly leader of UKIP and now leading the Brexit Party, has been campaigning for the UK's exit ever since he was first elected in 1999.

  6. Good morning

    Green MEPsAFP

    Green MEPs held a ceremony last night to mark the UK's departure

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage of events in Westminster and Brussels today.

    It’s set to be an historic day in the Belgian capital, with the European Parliament due to vote on approving the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

    The deal sailed through its committee stage and its approval is expected to be a formality.

    However it will be an occasion for MEPs on both sides of the debate to celebrate or lament the UK’s departure, and there will be a special ceremony and even music.

    Meanwhile back in London, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn will face off for their usual Wednesday session of Prime Minister’s Questions.