The Brexit Party's Euro-disruptors arrived at their first European Parliament session today and immediately kicked off a row by turning their backs as the EU anthem was played.

The 29 politicians elected in May's shock election result deliberately turned away as Beethoven's Ode to Joy was played in the parliamentary building in Strasbourg.

It came as party leader Nigel Farage warned of a 'turquoise takeover' in the UK if Brexit did not happen by October 31.

In a swipe at Tory leadership rivals Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt over their hard Brexit stances he told the Telegraph: 'I have to be honest with you, I don't believe a word they say.

'But I will give them this warning: If they don't deliver Brexit on that date they are toast and you will see a turquoise takeover.'

The display from the group including Mr Farage, former Tory shadow home secretary Ann Widdecombe and Annunziata Rees-Mogg against the live performance led to a rebuke from parliamentary president Antonio Tajani.

The British MEPs arrived in the eastern French city today for what could be their shortest session as European politicians.

Once Brexit occurs they will immediately cease to represent the UK, and so could be out of a job by the end of October.

MEP Alexandra Phillips was also censured after waving a Union Jack after taking her seat.

The 29 politicians elected in May's shock election result deliberately turned away as Beethoven's Ode to Joy was played in the parliamentary building in Strasbourg

The Brexit Party topped the polls at the May 23 election, returning 29 MEPs on a dark day for the Tories and Labour, who both lost seats

Nigel Farage and Ann Widdecombe at the European Parliament in Strasbourg this morning, where Brexit Party MEPs turned their back on the Euro anthem Ode to Joy

Mr Farage tweeted an image of his party's protest, saying: 'The Brexit Party has already made its presence felt.'

Meanwhile the Liberal Democrats' own MEPs delivered their own message as they arrived.

The group wore bright yellow t-shirts with 'stop Brexit' emblazoned across the chest and 'b*llocks to Brexit' on the back.

With 29 elected representatives, the Brexit Party - whose official colour is turquoise - is the national party with the largest delegation, just ahead of the Northern League of Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini with 28 seats.

Brexit Party MEP Martin Daubney bizarrely likened the parliament to something out of science fiction, tweeting: 'You can not grasp the sheer excess of this until you sit here.

John Bercow BLOCKS Remainer MPs' bid to stop a No Deal Brexit Remainer MPs have failed in their latest bid to block a No Deal Brexit after John Bercow rejected their attempt to use Whitehall departmental funding as leverage to stop the UK leaving the EU without an agreement. A cross-party group of MPs led by Labour's Dame Margaret Beckett and the Tory Europhile Dominic Grieve had tabled amendments which would have caused a major headache for the next prime minister. Their amendments would have prevented funding being given to a selection of government departments unless the House of Commons had agreed a Brexit deal or signed off on Britain leaving the EU without an agreement. In simple terms if the amendments had passed they would have meant funding for a handful of departments being cut off if the next prime minister tried to push through a disorderly divorce from Brussels against the will of a majority of MPs. However, the amendments had made some would-be rebels feel queasy because of the prospect of departments potentially grinding to a halt as they ran out of money. The Remain-backing MPs were scuppered this afternoon after Mr Bercow, the Commons Speaker, said that he had not selected the amendments and therefore they would not get a hearing. It means anti-No Deal MPs will now have to go back to the drawing board to devise another method of ruling out Britain leaving the bloc without an agreement. Both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt have kept the option of a No Deal Brexit on the table and the amendments would have reduced both of their room for manoeuvre depending on which one of them wins the race to take over from Theresa May. Advertisement

'It's like something out of Star Wars: an interplanetary nightmare, all paid for by taxpayers.'

Others in the parliament refused to stand at all as the EU's anthem - composed by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1824 - was played by a jazz ensemble.

Ukip's MEPs - then led by Mr Farage - performed the same political stand at the start of the session in 2014.

Westminster MPs tore into the display. Labour's David Lammy accused them of doing 'their best to isolate the UK from the world'.

This is petty, small minded little England at its worst,' he said.

'These plonkers do a proud and open nation a disservice. Shame on them.'

His colleague Neil Coyle added: 'The UK I know is not so disrespectful.'

Tory MP Nigel Adams said the Brexit Party was 'embarrassing' itself, adding: 'Very unBritish and childish. Grow up.'

Conservative MP Nicholas Soames tweeted: 'Truly pathetic oafish childish behaviour by Brexit and Liberal MEPs #growup.'

Earlier, Ms Widdecombe said that the UK must have 'a proper Brexit, a clean Brexit'.

Speaking from Strasbourg, she told Good Morning Britain: 'I want one thing, I want Brexit to be delivered. If there is such a thing, which I haven't yet seen, but if there is such a thing as a Conservative Prime Minister who can deliver Brexit, we will all cheer. But it has got to be a proper Brexit, a clean Brexit, no subjugation to their laws.'

Asked about the party's UK general election prospects she added: 'I do believe Nigel Farage could win a General Election but I don't think we need [Jeremy] Corbyn first to prove that.

'The people are already saying very loudly, in poll after poll, that they want the referendum result honoured, that's what the Brexit Party is about.

'I think we would prevail in a General Election for that reason. I don't think you need to wait for Corbyn first.'

The Brexit Party topped the polls at the May 23 election, returning 29 MEPs on a dark day for the Tories and Labour, who both lost seats.

Bureaucracy banter: Nigel Farage and Ann Widdecombe share a joke as they take their seats in the European Parliament

Ms Widdecombe (right) told GMB: 'It has got to be a proper Brexit, a clean Brexit, no subjugation to their laws'

The Lib Dem MEPs wore t-shirts with 'B*llocks to Brexit' across the back as they arrived at the parliament in Strasbourg

The Liberal Democrats wore bright yellow t-shirts with 'stop Brexit' emblazoned across the chest

May's marathon goodbye: PM is back in Brussels AGAIN as her last summit turns into a nightmare amid days of squabbling over who should be new head of the EU

Theresa May has been dragged back to Brussels for the third time in a week as EU leaders remain locked in a state of stalemate over who should get the bloc's top jobs.

The leaders of the EU 28 member states met last Tuesday to hammer out who should take over from Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, as well as a number of other roles.

But they were unable to reach a conclusion and were forced to meet again on Sunday as marathon talks lasting more than 20 hours failed again, prompting the need for them to try for the third time at another summit today.

The summit last week was supposed to be Mrs May's final act as prime minister on the EU stage.

But what should have been a relatively straight forward goodbye to the bloc has descended into farce for the outgoing PM who has been forced to wait around in Brussels for dead-of-night meetings to try to resolve the candidates issue.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman suggested this morning Mrs May would continue to take something of a back seat in the talks despite the deadlock.

'Our approach is exactly the same as I set out yesterday and before the previous council and the dinner on this,' he said.

'We do recognise the UK's status as a departing member state but we want to be as constructive a partner as possible. That's the spirit in which the PM is approaching it.'

The prospect of a swift resolution to today's summit appeared unlikely with leaders arriving at 10am and sources suggesting that the day-time get together could turn into a late-night dinner.

Today's emergency summit means Mrs May has had to tear up her domestic plans and cancel the weekly meeting of her Cabinet.

The row over who should replace Mr Juncker and Mr Tusk has exposed deep divisions among the EU member states.

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, said there would have to be compromise on all sides if an agreement was to be done.

'Everyone has to understand that they have to shift a little,' she told reporters as she arrived in the Belgian capital today.

'I say that to everyone. Then there will be a chance of reaching a deal. And that is the spirit in which I am going to work - cheerful and determined.'

Theresa May, pictured arriving in Brussels today, has been dragged back to the Belgian capital for the third time in a week

The outgoing prime minister was forced to cancel her weekly cabinet meeting in order to attend the third summit focused on picking candidates for the bloc's top jobs

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, told reporters as she arrived that everyone would have to 'shift a little' in order to reach an agreement

Ms Merkel said she was 'cheerful and determined' to finally reach an agreement on who should replace Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker

However, some EU leaders are confident of finally achieving a consensus on the appointments.

Luxembourg's liberal Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said he was convinced that there would be a breakthrough in talks.

Mr Bettel said he hoped that the EU's largest political grouping, the European People Party (EPP), had had time to adjust their position in talks.

'I hope that during the night they (the EPP) had a reboot and they are able to work together this morning,' Mr Bettel said as he arrived for the third day of meetings.

'We have to show that we able to decide what is going to happen in the next five years,' he added.

'I'm sure we will have a breakthrough now... We need the biggest consensus upstairs, with geographical and gender balance.'

Emmanuel Macron, the French President, said yesterday the failure to reach an agreement gave a 'very bad image' of the EU.

'Our credibility is profoundly tainted with these meetings that are too long and lead to nothing,' he said.

'We give an image of Europe that isn't serious. We cannot hold talks with world leaders, in an ever more violent world, and be a club that meets at 28 [EU members] without ever deciding anything.'

It is thought Mrs May could hold the balance of power at today's summit because of the way the EU is divided over the candidates.

Dutch socialist Frans Timmermans has been proposed to succeed Mr Juncker as EU Commission president and oversee Brexit talks with the UK after it leaves on October 31.

EU leaders were said to have agreed on Mr Timmermans as part of a potential compromise package last night.

But strong opposition from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Czech Republic and Italy meant they dodged a vote as wrangling continued.

Emmanuel Macron, the French President, said yesterday that the inability to agree who should be appointed to the main jobs in Brussels showed the EU 'isn't serious'

Donald Tusk, pictured arriving at today's summit, is due to stand down in November at the end of his five year term as president of the European Council

Jean-Claude Juncker, pictured arriving at the summit this morning, will also stand down in November at the end of his own five year term

European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans is the favourite to replace Mr Juncker as president of the European Commission

Under the rules, 72 per cent of EU member states, representing at least 65 per cent of the EU's population, must vote in favour of the proposal – which means that Mrs May could have the key say.

The tortured discussions underlines the divisions within the EU, which has been criticised for its response to a series of crises, such as Brexit, migration, climate change and the Greek financial crunch.

Under a deal between France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain, Mr Timmermans would run the commission and the powerful centre-right EPP's candidate Manfred Weber - at one point the hot favourite for the top job - would become European Parliament president.