Nigel Farage is considering returning as UKIP’s leader and has said he will push British Prime Minister Theresa May out of office after she “betrayed Britain” on Brexit.
The potential return of Farage comes amid news by Theresa May that Britain will stay in the single market five years after it voted Leave.
Ukip’s billionaire businessman donor Arron Banks led calls for the party’s leadership contest to be scrapped and for Mr. Farage to return immediately.
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He Tweeted: “The UKIP leadership election has to be stopped, Farage needs to be back.”
the UKIP leadership election has to be stopped, Farage needs to be back. Defections would be the order of the day again!
— Arron Banks (@Arron_banks) September 22, 2017
Express.co.uk reports: And a senior Ukip figure told the Daily Express, that “high level conversations have been had” about Mr Farage returning.
He said: “The country is facing a crisis, Brexit has been betrayed and we need Nigel back to lead us in the this fight. He is the only person for the job in these circumstances.
“After discussions Nigel is having a hard think about what to do and will decide in the next few days.”
Mr Farage has been Ukip leader three times and this would be his fourth time in the job.
However, he has previously promised that if Brexit was betrayed he would come back to lead the fight to win it all over again.
Reacting to Mrs May’s speech where she delayed Brexit for at least two year, Mr Farage said: “Today is a victory for Westminster and the political class. They are giving a big two fingers-up to 17.4 million people.”
Richard Tice and John Longworth, co-chairmen of the Brexit-backing pressure group Leave Means Leave, said: “We are deeply concerned that her proposals could lead to nothing changing either during or after the implementation period, which will go on for an undefined amount of time.
“There is no reference to being able to deregulate, sign our own trade deals or control our borders. This is a rebadging of the status quo and is Brexit in name only. In reality, this means we are still members.”
Mrs May’s 35-minute speech offered to keep strong ties with Brussels for “around two years” to try to accelerate the talks which have stalled in a row over a “divorce” payment.
She made clear that Britain will continue paying billions of pounds a year to Brussels to the end of the current EU budget cycle in 2020.
Her proposal means British taxpayers will pay an estimated £18billion more to Brussels on top of the final membership payments due to end in 2019.
She rejected reported demands from Brussels for up to £80billion as “exaggerated and unhelpful”.
Her offer to the EU was cautiously welcomed by Brussels chiefs. Michel Barnier, the European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator, called her speech “constructive” and “a step forward”.
He said: “In her speech in Florence, Prime Minister Theresa May has expressed a constructive spirit which is also the spirit of the European Union during this unique negotiation.
“The EU will continue to insist on sufficient progress in the key areas of the orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom before opening discussions on the future relationship.
“Agreeing on the essential principles in these areas will create the trust that is needed for us to build a future relationship together.”
