Ukip leader Nigel Farage steps down in wake of EU referendum win, saying ‘I’ve done my bit – we’ve got our country back’
He said after last month's historic result he had done his bit - and now 'I want my life back'
NIGEL Farage has resigned as Ukip leader - stating he has achieved his political goal of seeing Britain leave the EU.
He said that before the referendum he "wanted my country back", and after successfully campaigning for Brexit now "I want my life back".
The politician, a key figure for the Leave campaign, said however there will still be a strong Ukip voice in the negotiations for the UK to sever ties with Brussels.
"I have decided to stand aside as Leader of Ukip," he told the media this morning.
"The victory for the 'Leave' side in the referendum means that my political ambition has been achieved. I wanted my country back, we've got our country back."
Mr Farage, a lifelong Eurosceptic, said at the press conference: "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.
"I came into this struggle from business because I wanted us to be a self-governing nation, not to become a career politician.
"I very much hope the next Prime Minister is someone who rolls their sleeves up and gets the job done within two years."
Asked if he would stand again to become an MP in 2020, he said: "That is not top of my bucket list I have to tell you - it's been a long journey.
"It has been a hard journey. I got into politics to achieve something, I achieved it. That's what matters to me."
However, he did warn he could re-emerge in four years time should the UK not get a good deal in its EU leaving negotiations.
"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," he added.
"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 wanted my country back. What I'm saying today is I want my life back, and it begins right now."
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Mr Farage also explained the process for finding a new leader for Ukip, with deputy Paul Nuttall, Steven Woolfe and Suzanne Evans installed as early favourites.
He said: "The leadership process is there will be an emergency NEC meeting, there will be nominations, a set of criteria they will have to fulfil.
"One of the reasons for doing this now, is that if I did not do it now, we would not a have new leader for our [party] conference in September."
Mrs Evans is currently 7/4 with the bookmakers to take over, but is currently suspended by the party after being accused of disloyalty to the leadership.
Mr Nuttall, the former chairman of the party, is also a leading contender, having been a key figure in Ukip's campaigning in the EU vote.
Who will replace Nigel Farage?
After the Ukip leader announced he is going we look at the favourites to take over:
Bookmakers have installed Suzanne Evans as the early favourite to succeed Nigel Farage - but there is just one problem:
She is currently suspended.
The 51-year-old is a former spokesperson, deputy chairman, and head of policy for Ukip, but she found herself at the receiving end of a bitter party civil war earlier this year.
Long touted as a possible contender for the leadership, after clashes with Farage - including calling him a "divisive" figure - she was suspended from the party in March.
Today in the wake of Farage's resignation, she expressed her pleasure at the announcement by retweeting Douglas Carswell's post showing a smiling emoji wearing sunglasses.
She could be welcomed back in from the cold, but it remains to be seen if she can run for the party leadership.
When asked about this Mr Farage claimed he had "no idea", adding he did not get involved in "party discipline".
The other main contender is deputy leader Paul Nuttall, but this morning refused to be drawn on whether he would make a run for the party's leadership.
The 39-year-old is one of Ukip's main media spokespeople and was heavily involved in Leave campaigning prior to the Brexit vote.
Originally from Bootle in Merseyside, he joined the party in 2004, and was chairman until he was elected to the European Parliament in 2008 - marking him as the party's youngest-ever MEP.
He has served as Farage's deputy since 2010, and is 3/1 with the bookies.
Other who might stand include the party's migration spokesman Steven Woolfe, Diane James and Patrick O’Flynn.
But having come back before after resigning, Farage himself is only 5/1 to be back in charge by 2020.
The 52-year-old former city trader has had two stints at the helm of the Eurosceptic party since 2006.
After failing to win election to the House of Commons for the seventh time in last year's General Election he stood down.
But just three days later he was back in charge, and since then has been at the forefront of those trying to propel Britain out of the European Union.
However he has been a controversial figure, and was not part of the official leave campaign - although Ukip's one MP, Douglas Carswell, was.
He reacted to the news of his leader's resignation with a tweet featuring an emoji of a smiling face.
When asked about at the press conference Mr Farage said: "I'm pleased he's smiling."
The pair had often clashed since Mr Carswell, the MP for Clacton, defected from the Conservative Party, and did so again in the run up to the referendum vote over a poster Mr Farage unveiled.
The infamous "Breaking Point" billboard, depicting streams of refugees fleeing to the EU, saw him accused of stooping to racist imagery for success at the ballot box.
But he was vindicated in his campaign when Brexit triumphed with a narrow 52% to 48% victory in the landmark referendum.
It is believed opponents within the party were keen to see Mr Farage relinquish the Ukip reins so it could shake off its image as a one-man band.
And as the party seeks to take advantage of Labour’s current struggles the departure of such a polarising leader could make it easier to target its traditional heartlands in the north of England.
Mr Carswell has ruled himself out of the contest however, saying: "The chances of me standing to be Ukip leader are somewhere between nil and zero."
He told the BBC's Daily Politics: "My role is to steer Ukip away from the temptations of becoming an angry, nativist party."
Referring to his emoji tweet he said: "I tweet smiley faces all the time, I'm very optimistic. I tweeted a smiley face when I woke up first thing this morning."
But Mr Nuttall indicated he was taking soundings about a bid to replace Mr Farage.
The MEP told Sky News: "I'm off to Strasbourg this afternoon after the national executive.
"There will be conversations that will take place amongst the MEPs and there will be conversations this afternoon amongst the NEC."
And Mr Woolfe will reportedly make a decision once he has consulted with his wife.