The European Parliament has backed a motion setting out its position for the Brexit negotiations by 516 to 133, the BBC reports.

Although MEPs will not participate directly in the exit talks they will have to vote in favour of the final deal for it to go ahead.

UKIP’s Nigel Farage accused MEPs of trying to impose conditions that were “impossible for Britain to comply with” and likened them to the “mafia”.

The motion for debate was supported by the two largest groups of MEPs.

It set out general principles at the start of the two year negotiations for the UK to leave the European Union under the Article 50 process.