MEPs this afternoon backed a motion signalling that there has been no "sufficient progress" in the Brexit talks to date in a vote that was blasted as a "distraction" by furious critics.
The European Parliament overwhelmingly backed a resolution drawn up by its Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt just 24 hours before Theresa May is due to give her big speech to the Tory party conference.
It “calls on the European Council, unless there is a major breakthrough in line with this resolution in all three areas during the fifth negotiation round, to decide at its October meeting to postpone its assessment on whether sufficient progress has been made”.
There was a loud round of applause in the chamber this afternoon as the motion was passed by 557 votes to 92, with 29 MEPs abstaining. Mr Verhofstadt clapped along whilst the socialist leader, Gianni Pittella, turned around to congratulate MEPs on the result.
Last week there was criticism over the timing of the vote, which is largely symbolic and will not bind the EU's negotiator Michel Barnier, given that it has occurred just 24 hours before Mrs May's conference address.
Reacting to the vote, Tory MEP Ashley Fox, the leader of the Conservative delegation in Brussels, said: “At this sensitive point in the Brexit negotiations the European Parliament's resolution is an unnecessary distraction.
"Its negative assessment of the current position neither reflects the current reality nor the views of the EU's Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier, who has welcomed the 'new dynamic' created by the Prime Minister's Florence speech, or Angela Merkel, who hailed the 'good progress' made in the latest round of talks.
"The European Parliament has an important role to play later in the process but for now it should allow the negotiators to do their work and refrain from politicking on the sidelines."
A spokesman for the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU) pointed out that the resolution was drawn up before last week's fourth negotiating round, adding that there had been a "shift" in progress since then.
He said: “The resolution was drafted prior to the end of the fourth negotiating round. The dynamic of the negotiations has shifted and we have instilled real momentum into the talks.
“We recognised and respect the vital role the European Parliament will play in this process and that this resolution sets out its views. However, it will be for the Council to decide on sufficient progress.”
He added: “We have made considerable progress on citizens’ rights, Northern Ireland and Ireland and have reassured our EU partners in regards to our mutual financial obligations.
“The focus of the Government is on the upcoming negotiation round, building on the positive momentum created by the PM’s Florence speech. We want to get on to discussing the future deep economic and security partnership that we believe is in all our interests.”