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Ukip MEPs staged a dramatic revolt which threatened to bring the EU Parliament to a grinding halt today, in an attempt to disrupt a "dirty deal" on a global trade deal that critics say could force NHS privatisation.

MEPs from left-leaning parties across the EU rose to their feet to slow-clap and Nigel Farage launched a furious tirade at the chairman, describing the parliament as a "disgrace to democracy."

It was in response to a move by the President to avoid a vote on the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Industry Partnership - described by critics as a "dirty deal".

(Image: European Union 2015)

Opponents of the deal warn it could be used by predatory US health firms to force the UK to let them bid to run parts of the NHS - in effect privatising it

What is TTIP? Here's everything you need to know about the controversial trade deal

EU leaders thought they'd be able to pass a motion on the deal easily - but members of socialist, green and left-leaning parties tabled a raft of amendments yesterday which threatened to derail the vote.

Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament, said the debate had been postponed "to give more time ... to further reflect on the outstanding issues and to reduce as much as possible the large number of amendments tabled."

This caused fury among those opposing the deal - who saw it as a refusal to allow the bill to be debated properly.

(Image: European Union 2015)

The Parliament chamber descended into chaos as Ukip MEP Steven Woolfe made a bid to shut the body down for the day in protest.

He invoked a procedural rule which allows a vote to throw out the day's session if 40 members stand up in support.

But Woolfe's bid was dismissed by the chairman, causing members to slow clap the chair.

Nigel Farage rose from his seat to approach the chair, angrily declaring the Parliament a joke and demanding it be "torn down".

(Image: European Union 2015)

Woolfe repeated his attempt in a second session of the parliament today. The motion was allowed, but was voted down.

The TTIP deal will now be debated at a later, and unspecified date.

David Cameron has dismissed claims that the deal is a threat to the NHS.

He said: "There are people who argue this could damage the National Health Service, I think that is nonsense.

"It's our National Health Service, it's in the public sector and it will stay in the public sector.

"That's not going to change, it will remain free at the point of public use.

"There's no threat I believe from TTIP to the NHS and we should knock that on the head as an empty threat."

What is TTIP?

(Image: European Union 2015)

The European Union and United States are currently negotiating a free trade agreement - known as the “Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership” (TTIP) - which, if successful, could purportedly raise Europe’s GDP by up to 0.9% and America’s by 0.8%.

“The biggest trade deal in the world” would eliminate trade tariffs between the European Union and the United States.

It would also tackle non-tariff barriers to trade, such as rules on standards and product regulation like labelling and sanitary requirements. These will either be changed or phased out.

The EU says that this sort of bureaucracy can add around 10-20% to the price of goods, an extra expense paid for by consumers.

Is this a deal that could make us all a LOT better off?

The European Commission claims that if the agreement passed, the average European household would gain €545 [£433] each year, as the economy would be boosted by 0.5% of GDP, or €120 billion [£94bn] annually.

So far, so good.

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Image source: European Economic and Social Committee/Bertelsmann Stiftung

Foreign corporations could also be allowed to SUE governments!

One of the most controversial clauses in the agreement allows for an "investor-state dispute settlement" system which would allow corporations to challenge signatory governments if their policies don’t favour them.

A panel of three people would adjudicate each case and their ruling would be binding. This would override the legal systems of signatory countries.

It's been employed in other countries, to mixed results from a consumer point of view.

Is the deal a threat to the NHS?

Critics have called it the "biggest threat to the NHS" in years.

If it passes, future governments won’t be able to roll back The Health And Social Care Act which sanctions NHS privatisation.

Even Tories aren’t too keen on it. A poll held in marginal Tory-held seats found only 23% of Conservative supporters backed the inclusion of the NHS in TTIP.

The Tories and Labour both support the deal in principle -but Labour say they will "aim to ensure the NHS is protected from the TTIP treaty."

The Green Party "strongly oppose the deal".

Ukip's manifesto reads: “The level of public concern around TTIP makes it a good example of what can potentially go wrong while we remain in the EU and allow EU Commissioners to negotiate every single trade agreement on behalf of twenty-eight member states"