We’ll be back – like the plague, says Ukip chief

UKIP’S vote collapsed in the local elections – but one of its leaders claimed that like the Black Death it would lie dormant ready to return to rescue Brexit.

The Eurosceptic party lost dozens of councillors in a grim night as supporters deserted, largely to the Conservatives.

Its only cause for celebration was in Derby, where Ukip held one seat and gained another, but by teatime yesterday its total tally was only three.

The figures were a stunning downturn from its success in the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum when it took 17 per cent of the vote and 166 councillors before going on to success at European Parliament elections.

With most of the results in, Ukip had some 57 fewer councillors than it went into Thursday’s election with.

The party’s council base has been eroded as it lost seats due to defections and by-election defeats. But Ukip general secretary Paul Oakley insisted it was “not all over at all” and forecast a comeback.

“Think of the Black Death in the Middle Ages,” he told a startled interviewer on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“It comes along and it causes disruption and then it goes dormant, and that’s exactly what we are going to do. Our time isn’t finished, because Brexit is being betrayed.”

He also claimed the plague had some positive outcomes in driving economic growth, the Renaissance and social reform.

Former vice-chairman Suzanne Evans acknowledged the party’s potential demise when she said: “If Ukip does crumble you could still arguably make the case that it’s been one of the most successful political parties in history.”