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Catalonia’s parliament has voted in favour of independence from Spain even as the Spanish authorities prepared to take direct control of the wealthy north-eastern region, The Financial Times reported.

According to the source, deputies in the 135-strong regional assembly backed the motion for secession by 70 to 10 in a momentous decision that escalates the biggest political crisis since Spain’s return to democracy in the 1970s.

The motion read: “We shall constitute the Catalan Republic as an independent, and sovereign, democratic and social state of law.”

The result was greeted with jubilation by pro-independence supporters who had gathered outside the parliament in Barcelona under the slogan “Let's make the Republic”, hoping to put pressure on the parliament to act.

Meanwhile, Madrid is already preparing to activate a direct rule provision in the Spanish constitution as soon as this afternoon. Shortly after the Catalan vote, Spain’s Senate gave the central authority to apply article 155 of the Spanish constitution revoking Catalan autonomy. The powers of the regional government and parliament will be curtailed and new regional elections will be called within six months. Spain’s prime minister Mariano Rajoy will hold an emergency meeting of the cabinet on Friday evening.