Farage: I quit, my job’s done

But did he time his resignation to stop woman arch-rival taking over Ukip?

NIGEL Farage sensationally resigned as Ukip leader yesterday following his Brexit triumph – in a move that could stop an arch-rival from taking the job.

Stepping down from the role for the second time in little over a year, Mr Farage, 52, said he had achieved his ambition to get ‘my country back’ after Britain voted to leave the EU and now wanted his life back.

Suzanne Evans, the party’s former deputy chairman, said she would ‘absolutely’ want to stand to replace him as leader of Ukip.

She temporarily had the top job following last year’s General Election after Mr Farage resigned as leader – and was then reinstated only three days later.

But she is currently serving a sixmonth suspension after being accused of briefing against Ukip.

Mr Farage said there would be a new leader by the party conference in September – which means Miss Evans, 51, will just fall short of being able to run in the race unless she is reinstated early.

Last night a Ukip source denied suggestions that Mr Farage’s second resignation had been timed to

‘My ambition has been achieved’

stop his rival getting the job. Last night Ukip’s heritage and tourism spokesman William Cash, son of Tory Eurosceptic MP Sir Bill Cash, resigned from the party in protest at Miss Evans being prevented from standing.

In an article for The Spectator, he wrote: ‘I wish the party well although I fear that it may be heading in an Enoch Powellian “far-Right” direction. The fact that Suzanne Evans is not even able to stand as leader because of her suspension (due to her progressive views on gay rights) tells you everything you need to know about the current state of Ukip.’

And asked if she would like to stand, Miss Evans told the Mail: ‘Yes I absolutely would, but I’m not eligible as I’m currently suspended.’ She added: ‘I think there are a lot of people trying to undo my suspension and I’m very heartened to see that. The ball is firmly in the Party’s court.’

Her suspension makes Steven Woolfe and Paul Nuttall, who are both Ukip MEPs in the North West, the favourites to take over from Mr Farage. Mr Nuttall’s working class background stands him in good stead for helping the party win Labour votes in its former industrial heartlands.

Ukip’s only MP, Douglas Carswell – who has been locked in a feud with Mr Farage – quickly ruled himself out of the contest. He said: ‘The chances of me standing to be leader are somewhere between nil and zero.’

Mr Farage had said: ‘During the referendum campaign, I said I want my country back. What I’m saying today is I want my life back, and it begins right now.’ He added: ‘The victory for the Leave side means that my political ambition has been achieved.

‘I came into this struggle from business because I wanted us to be a self-governing nation, not to become a career politician.’

He said if there was ‘backsliding’ by the Government on negotiating the terms of withdrawal, then Ukip’s ‘best days may be yet to come’ as Ukip was in a ‘pretty good place’ and had the ‘potential’ to attract Labour voters.

Mr Farage opened up the prospect of returning to the party if it looked like Britain was going to get a ‘rotten deal’ over the EU – but insisted he would not change his mind again over quitting as leader. He also attacked politicians for ‘waving the white flag of surrender before the process has even started’, an attitude which he said was ‘totally gutless’.

The leadership process is due to be discussed at an emergency meeting of the party’s national executive committee. An email to Ukip constituency officers about ‘the party line’ emphasised that it was Mr Farage’s decision to quit – and said he had not been pushed.

Mr Farage had sparked outrage during the EU referendum campaign with his anti-migrant ‘Breaking Point’ poster.