Nigel Farage has quit UKIP after 25 years, saying it was now unrecognisable from the party he led through its extremism and obsession with street activism.

Writing of his decision in The Daily Telegraph today, Mr Farage said he had consistently warned that the party would be “damaged beyond repair” if it failed to exclude extremists and focus on fighting elections.

However, under its current leader Gerard Batten, who appointed English Defence League (EDL) founder Tommy Robinson as an adviser, UKIP had now changed direction fundamentally and was losing candidates as well as its best organisers and activists.

“The party of elections is quickly becoming a party of street activism, with our members being urged to attend marches rather than taking the fight to the ballot box,” said Mr Farage who tried and failed seven times to become a Ukip MP and is still an MEP.