From The Guardian:
Nigel Farage has resigned as leader of Ukip, saying he had fulfilled his political ambitions after successfully campaigning for the UK to vote for Brexit and that it was time for him to take a rest.
It is the third time he has stepped down as the party leader, but Farage dismissed the idea of coming back again in the future and claimed standing as an MP was no longer top of his to-do list.
Speaking at a press conference in Westminster on Monday, he said: “During the referendum I said I wanted my country back … now I want my life back.”
Farage, 52, was originally leader from 2006 to 2009 and came back to the job after the 2010 election, overseeing the rise of Ukip from a fringe single-issue party to a major political force. He then stepped down after the 2015 election, only to “unresign” just days later, as he wanted to lead Ukip’s campaign to leave the EU.
The MEP insisted his latest resignation was for good but raised the prospect of taking some role in negotiating Britain’s exit from the EU, saying he “might have something to give”…
Farage gave a short speech about how Brexit should be carried out and what the future holds for Ukip before revealing he was standing down.
“I have decided to stand aside as leader of Ukip,” he said. “The victory for the leave side in the referendum means that my political ambition has been achieved. I came into this struggle from business because I wanted us to be a self-governing nation, not to become a career politician.
“Ukip is in a good position and will continue, with my full support to attract a significant vote. Whilst we will now leave the European Union, the terms of our withdrawal are unclear. If there is too much backsliding by the government and with the Labour party detached from many of its voters then Ukip’s best days may be yet to come.”
