Nigel Farage stepped down on Monday as the head of the U-K Independence Party, claiming that he’d “like his life back” after achieving his political ambition to have Britain leave the E-U.
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Nigel Farage has announced that he is to step down as party leader – triggering another leadership battle.
Farage, 52, said he felt he had done all he could to achieve a vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23 and now he wanted “his life back”.
Ms Evans says she would like to stand. ‘I’ve never made any secret of the fact that if Nigel Farage did step aside for any reason, I would like to put myself forward, ‘ she told Sky News.
Farage, who announced his resignation on Monday, said that he would continue to support UKIP and help Britain become independent of the bloc. However, he soon changed his mind and returned to the job.
UKIP county councillor Hod Birkby said that Mr Farage would be a loss to Kent. His resignation previous year was rejected by the party.
“If the Government does not get a good deal, if it concedes over this terrible single market then I think Ukip’s best days have yet to come”. This time, however, he said it was definite.
Mr Farage has had two spells in charge of the anti-EU party, joining its predecessor organisation, the Anti-Federalist League, when it had only a few hundred members.
Likely contenders include Paul Nuttall, UKIP’s deputy leader and a North West England MEP, or Diane James, the UKIP deputy chairman who was given a prominent role in the referendum campaign.
“During the referendum campaign, I said “I want my country back”.
It’s unclear what’s next for Farage, although he said he would consider to serve as a Member of the European Parliament until Britain leaves the EU.
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He described UKIP as a turkey that voted for Christmas, a reference to the fact that the party may have less relevance now that its major reason for existing – leaving the European Union – was on the verge of coming true. Cameron had said he would resign after losing his campaign to persuade voters to remain in the EU. “I’m not, let’s just be clear, I’m not walking out of here in a fit of pique, I’m saying I’m fully behind the party, what it stands for, whoever the new leader is”, he said.
