Verhofstadt: "Maybe the only thing that can save us is Nigel Farage now"

Liberal group leader Guy Verhofstadt warned on Tuesday (16 April) that the decision to grant the United Kingdom a Brexit extension last week could “poison” the European elections, in which the UK is now likely to take part.

“I fear that it will continue the uncertainty. I fear that it will prolong the indecision. And I fear most of all that it will import the Brexit mess into the European Union," ALDE chief Verhofstadt told MEPs in Strasbourg.

In a surprise admission, Verhofstadt said that "I never thought I'd say this in my life [...] but maybe the only thing that can save us is Nigel Farage", suggesting that Labour and Conservative forces will be forced to find a cross-party agreement to counter the former UKIP leader's new Brexit Party.

Talks are set to continue in Westminster later today between the two British parties, despite the lull of the Easter recess.