NIGEL: MP NO LOSS TO UKIP

Blast as Carswell quits party

NIGEL Farage last night claimed Ukip’s only MP Douglas Carswell had “jumped before he was pushed”.

Mr Carswell, right, announced yesterday that he was leaving the party “amicably” and will sit in the Commons as an independent.

He claimed there was no need for a by-election in his Clacton constituency, as he will not be switching to another party.

His resignation follows a row with Ukip’s biggest financial backer Arron Banks. Yesterday Mr Banks tweeted a smiley face emoji and a green tick.

Former Ukip leader Mr Farage welcomed Mr Carswell’s departure.

He said: “He jumped before he was pushed, he should have gone some time ago. Whilst he was sincere about Brexit, he was never Ukip and constantly tried to undermine and divide us.

“I felt the day after he was elected he was saying things that weren’t really Ukip.” Mr Farage’s succes- sor Paul Nuttall said: “Our party has not benefited financially or organisationally from having Douglas in Westminster. “With this in mind, his departure will make no difference to my ability or focus on delivering the reforms I promised when elected as leader.” Announcing his resignation, Mr Carswell said Ukip had achieved its goal of getting Britain out of the European Union. He added: “I will leave Ukip amicably, cheerfully and in the knowledge that we won.”