UKIP Leader Nigel Farage Resigns After Defeat in UK General Elections

The United Kingdom Independence Party’s leader, Nigel Farage, resigned after his defeat in the general election.

LONDON, May 8 (Sputnik) – The United Kingdom Independence Party's leader, Nigel Farage, has resigned after his defeat in the country's general election.

"I said as this campaign went on that if I didn't win I would stand down as leader of UKIP. I am a man of my word, I don't break my word. So I shall be writing to the UKIP national executive in the next few minutes saying that I am standing down as leader of UKIP," Farage said, as he did not manage to win the seat at Thanet South constituency, as quoted by ITV channel.

Farage added that he would take the summer off, and then reconsider whether he would run for the leadership of the UKIP party in September.

UKIP received 12.6 percent of the vote and won one seat in the lower house of British parliament, as the count for the election results is finishing.

Farage was one of the founding members of UKIP, serving as its leader in 2006-2009 and 2010-2015.

UKIP has conservative views and has called for Great Britain to exit the European Union.

The UK election took place on Thursday. The Conservative party currently holds 325 out of 650 seats in the House of Commons as last UK constituencies declare the results of the vote.