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Okay, I apologise... to bank clerks

Tuesday, 2nd March 2010

Nigel Farage says he will apologise to bank clerks the world over for his denouncement of the European Council President Herman Van Rompuy in the European Parliament last week.

Mr Farage, who is leader of UKIP's MEPs, was speaking on BBC2’s Daily Politics show after being called to a disciplinary meeting with European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek in Brussels earlier in the day.

“It was what I would call an interview without coffee,” Mr Farage told show host Jo Coburn. “I tried to talk to the president of the Parliament about freedom of speech, especially in Parliament from elected members, but he has asked me to apologise.

“He wants me to apologise to Herman Van Rompuy, He wants me to apologise to the European Parliament and he wants me to apologise to the people of Belgium.”

Asked if he would make those apologies, Mr Farage replied: “I will apologise to bank clerks the world over. If I caused them offence I am very sorry. But if I am not allowed to stand up and say that I think it is wrong that this man has got a job which pays him a salary bigger than Obama’s and that is because the Lisbon Treaty went through without us having a referendum... then what sort of democracy is there in this EU?”

Speaking from Brussels, Mr Farage said that his comments were nothing compared to the language used in the House of Commons and in parliaments all over the world.

Here's what he told the press in Brussels:

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