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Farage to quit as leader of UKIP Farage to quit as leader of UKIP
(about 2 hours later)
Leader of the UK Independence Party Nigel Farage is to announce he is standing down as head of the party. Nigel Farage has said he intends to stand down as leader of the UK Independence Party to focus on gaining a seat at Westminster.
The South East MEP, who has led UKIP for three years, will tell the party conference he is quitting a year before his term is up. Mr Farage plans to take on Commons Speaker John Bercow in Buckingham.
He will continue to lead the party's MEPs; but he told the BBC that leading the domestic party as well is too much. He will continue to lead the party's MEPs but said leading the domestic party as well was too much.
He is also set to stand against Commons speaker John Bercow in his Buckingham seat at the next general election. "I've also been the leader of the domestic party for the last three years and frankly doing both of those jobs is too much for any one person," he said.
'Far too big' In his three years as leader, Mr Farage has raised the profile of the party, which campaigns for Britain's exit from the EU, through numerous media appearances.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Farage said: "I've been the leader of the domestic party for the last three years and frankly doing both of those jobs is too much for any one person - the party is far too big. He has also steered it to unprecedented success at the recent European elections, where it came second, beating Labour, and returned 13 MEPs.
"We're about to embark on a general election campaign in which we're going to have over 500 candidates and because of the way UKIP is structured the leader of the domestic party has got to plan, organise, lead and run that domestic general election campaign. 'Too big'
"And I'm not going to take that burden on because frankly it's too much and anyway I'm going to be busy in Buckingham taking on John Bercow" But he has also faced internal dissent over his leadership style and has found running a UK-based party when he is in Brussels and Strasbourg much of the time too much of a strain.
Earlier, Mr Farage said he was standing in Mr Bercow's constituency because MPs "have broken the trust" of the British people and Mr Bercow "represents the worst" of the Commons. The South East MEP will tell his party conference later that he is quitting a year before his term is up.
He believes the party, which has previously struggled to make an impact in Westminster's first-past-the-post elections, could be poised to gain its first MPs at the next general election, which must happen in the next nine months.
I simply have not got the time to take on the responsibility of planning, running and leading a national general election campaign Nigel Farage UKIP
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Farage said: "UKIP has become too big for one man to lead the political party in the [European] parliament and to lead the domestic party in this country.
"We're going in to a general election campaign, we are going to fight over 500 constituencies, and I simply have not got the time to take on the responsibility of planning, running and leading a national general election campaign."
He added: "And I'm not going to take that burden on because frankly it's too much and anyway I'm going to be busy in Buckingham taking on John Bercow."
BBC political correspondent Ben Wright said a new leader would manage the party, run the election strategy and formulate policies and the leadership contest was expected to get under way next week.
On Thursday Mr Farage said he was standing in Mr Bercow's constituency because MPs "have broken the trust" of the British people and Mr Bercow "represents the worst" of the Commons.
Convention rules that Speakers stay out of party politics. Labour and the Lib Dems will not stand against Mr Bercow.Convention rules that Speakers stay out of party politics. Labour and the Lib Dems will not stand against Mr Bercow.
On Friday, Mr Farage is expected to tell the party that he wants to focus on his campaign and his role leading UKIP MEPs in the European Parliament.
According to BBC political correspondent Ben Wright, a new leader will manage the party, run the election strategy and formulate policies and the contest is expected to get under way next week.
At the recent European elections, UKIP came second and its annual conference is focused on trying to get a breakthrough at Westminster.