Nigel Farage explains his unresignation

“I decided that as much as I wanted to spend the summer fishing, walking, and of course, in the European Parliament… I owed it to the party”, he tells the Telegraph.

Mr Farage, after an intense morning of media appearances, announced this afternoon he had agreed with his party’s decision to refuse to accept his resignation and had unresigned.

He adds that he feels his decision to promise to resign if he lost South Thanet had opened himself up to attacks from the Conservative party and trade unions in the past months.

“And I’m a man of my word. It was only about 20 minutes after the results in South Thanet had come in, that I stood on the cliffs outside the Botany Bay Hotel, surrounded by the nation’s media, and confirmed that I would be handing my resignation to the National Executive Committee today. What followed was something that had crossed my mind, but that I had never truly expected.”

He said he was reluctant to accept the call to remain and demanded evidence of his popularity, but said that he would accept their decision.