Nigel Farage's Resignation As UKIP Leader Prompts Barrage Of Criticism

First Boris, now Farage...
LOADINGERROR LOADING

Nigel Farage has stepped down as Ukip leader prompting a flood of criticism of the decision which comes in the wake of the very EU referendum result he helped engineer.

Speaking at The Emmanuel Centre in London, Farage said victory for the Leave campaign meant "my political ambition has been achieved".

He added: "I came into this struggle from business because I wanted us to be a self-governing nation, not to become a career politician.

News that Nigel Farage is stepping down as leader of UKIP. Thought he did that after the election.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 4, 2016

"I want my life back - and it begins right now."

Leading the charge against Farage following his speech was singer Charlotte Church who did nothing to hide her anger.

I want my fucking European Union back you piece of shit!!!!!! https://t.co/XKE65GkvqT

— Charlotte Church (@charlottechurch) July 4, 2016

The sentiment was echoed by David Baddiel and others.

Nigel Farage goes to get his life, in an imaginary thatched cottage in an quaint imaginary village in the heart of an imaginary UK, back.

— David Baddiel (@Baddiel) July 4, 2016

Nigel Farage: 'I want my life back!'... Thought you wanted your country back, you absolute coward

— Billie JD Porter (@billiejdporter) July 4, 2016

Farage resigns, Gove losing badly. All those who led us to Brexit have now gone or going. Who carries the can? we do!

— Paddy Ashdown (@paddyashdown) July 4, 2016

Nigel Farage says "I want my life back". So do we all, Mr Farage, so do we all.

— GeorgeMonbiot (@GeorgeMonbiot) July 4, 2016

Farage, 52, has had two stints as leader of the Eurosceptic party since 2006, and announced he was quitting the post after failing to win a Commons seat in the 2015 general election, only to change his mind days later.

He confirmed to The Huffington Post UK that he would continue to serve as an MEP.

Hmmm. Not seeing anything in Farage's "resignation" about him giving up the 80k-plus-a-year we pay him to work in Brussels.

— Dara Ó Briain (@daraobriain) July 4, 2016

Johnson and Farage - a couple of jakeys who wake up from a binge having shat the bed, then sneak out the doss house by the back door.

— Irvine Welsh (@IrvineWelsh) July 4, 2016

Obviously #Farage intends to stay a Member of the European Parliament, letting the EU pay for his regained life. Welcome to #Brexit reality.

— Jan Philipp Albrecht (@JanAlbrecht) July 4, 2016

He also said he would be happy to be a part of the government’s Brexit negotiation team put together by the next prime minister. “I might have something to give if they want it. If they don’t, that’s fine,” he said.

For our collective sanity as a nation, can we all agree not to give Farage a TV show, a radio show or a newspaper column?

— Richard Osman (@richardosman) July 4, 2016

Nigel Farage will doubtless be going back to his proper job. Remind me what that was again?

— GeorgeMonbiot (@GeorgeMonbiot) July 4, 2016

Farage said his political career since first standing for Ukip in the Eastleigh by-election of 1994 had been “a long journey, not at every stage of the way an easy one, although most of it, I have to say, has been tremendous fun”.

He added: “Tough though it’s been at times, it’s all certainly been worth it.

“I came into politics from business because I believed that this nation should be self-governing. I have never been and I have never wanted to be a career politician.

Farage resigning leaves Tim Farron as the battle-hardened veteran
of modern party politics, everyone.

— Gaby Hinsliff (@gabyhinsliff) July 4, 2016

Now Farage (like Boris) won't need to trouble himself with the details of the next few years. Brexit, then bugger off.

— Stig Abell (@StigAbell) July 4, 2016

Nigel Farage has "done his bit,” he says. True. UK close to break up, economy heading for the ditch, race hate on the rise...

— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) July 4, 2016

“My aim in being in politics was to get Britain out of the European Union. That is what we voted for in that referendum two weeks ago, and that is why I now feel that I’ve done my bit, that I couldn’t possibly achieve more than we managed to get in that referendum.

“So I feel it’s right that I should now stand aside as leader of Ukip. I will continue to support the party, I will support the new leader, I will watch the renegotiation process in Brussels like a hawk and perhaps comment in the European Parliament from time to time.

Cameron gone, Boris Johnson gone, Farage gone. Goodbye, England's bro's. May you ever grow in our hearts.

— Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) July 4, 2016

Farage resigns as UKIP leader (again).

— Andrew Neil (@afneil) July 4, 2016

Farage will be back. Not as quickly as last time but he needs to distance himself from the reality of Brexit so he can claim betrayal later.

— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) July 4, 2016

“I’m also very keen to help the independence movements that are springing up in other parts of the European Union, because I’m certain of one thing - you haven’t seen the last country that wants to leave the EU.

“It has been a huge chunk of my life, doing this, and it’s not easy perhaps when you feel a degree of ownership of something to let it go. But has come at a cost to me and perhaps to those around me. 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.”

The Ukip leader's resignation comes four days after fellow Leave campaigner, Boris Johnson, announced he would not run for the Tory leadership after his former ally Michael Gove declared he would.

Have 3 twattish posh blokes with 'so much support' ever been such a bunch of hopeless shitfull spineless selfish losers
Gove-Johnson-Farage

— Robert Llewellyn (@bobbyllew) July 4, 2016

Farage's sorry legacy: Disgraceful rhetoric during the campaign. Crashes the car then walks away. Hate crime and racist abuse on the rise.

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 4, 2016

Another Brexiteer bites the dust. Nigel Farage, I won't miss your divisive dog-whistle politics stirring up hatred. pic.twitter.com/V2crbwc9Ot

— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 4, 2016

Paul Nuttall and Steven Wolfe are likely to run in the race to place Farage.

Douglas Carswell appears to have ruled himself out telling The Huffington Post UK his chances of standing were “somewhere between nil and zero”.

Cameron, Johnson & now Farage all showing tremendous courage in time of crisis. pic.twitter.com/jLik2MZGzr

— edgarwright (@edgarwright) July 4, 2016
Close

What's Hot