Nigel Farage quit as party leader (Picture: Reuters)

Nigel Farage this morning quit as leader of Ukip after losing his election battle in South Thanet.

Standing down as the party leader, he said the first past the post system was ‘bankrupt’ that had led to ‘a totally negative general election campaign’.

He said that Suzanne Evans would become acting leader of Ukip and hasn’t ruled out standing again.

Ukip won 12 per cent of the total vote, but only won one seat in parliament.


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He has now lost his seventh election battle to the Conservative Party candidate and former Ukip leader, Craig Mackinlay.



He repeatedly promised to stand down as leader if he lost the battle in Kent.

The winner, Mr Mackinlay had joined Ukip in 1997 and served as leader for less than a month before leaving in 2005 to join the Conservative party.

The controversial pint-drinking and cigarette-smoking politician has served as leader of Ukip since 2010, overseeing some the party’s greatest successes – most notably the winning of two parliamentary by-elections in Clacton and Rochester and Strood.

Leader Of UKIP, Nigel Farage casting his vote (Picture: Getty Images)

What’s next for the Marmite man of British politics?

Will it be back to a successful career in the city or will we be treated to a series of thrilling Churchill biographies? We can only wait.

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Leader Of UKIP, Nigel Farage, waving at the cameras (Picture: Getty Images)

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