UKIP Party Chairman, Steve Crouther, has denied allegations reported by Breitbart London that elements of the party’s National Executive were unhappy about Nigel Farage remaining leader. Mr Farage had resigned after failing to take South Thanet but on Monday the NEC unanimously refused his departure.
In response to stories about Monday’s meeting of the UKIP NEC, UKIP Chairman Steve Crowther told Breitbart London: “There was not the slightest suggestion that the NEC was anything other than unanimous in its wish for Nigel to withdraw his resignation.
“He spent a considerable time making the case for his resignation, and the appointment of an interim leader, but there was no-one in the committee who did not want him to stay on. He left the room while it was further discussed.
“I took the views of members and they unanimously asked him to remain as leader. The NEC is 100% behind Nigel as we go forward into the referendum campaign which is already underway.”
Breitbart London was contacted by a member of the NEC claiming Farage had spent time laying out the pitfalls of his own departure. He then sat through the discussion about his future.
Almost immediately following Farage’s resignation on Friday a number of senior officials called for him to change his mind. They included Patrick O’Flynn MEP, who told journalists UKIP had failed to gain seats because of the electoral system rather than lacking support.
The party polled around four million votes, but only took the seat of Clacton. UKIP got the third highest share of the vote nationally, higher than the SNP who got 56 seats and the Liberal Democrats who took eight seats.
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