Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), announced that he was stepping down from his position on Monday. His resignation comes almost two weeks after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union.
Farage was at the helm of the Leave Campaign during the European Union (EU) referendum. Farage's resignation came after U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation. Boris Johnson, another Leave campaigner and until recently a candidate for the next U.K. prime ministerial position, also announced recently that he would not be in the running for the position.
"I now feel that I've done my bit, that I couldn't possibly achieve more," he said during a press conference, adding that he never wanted to be a career politician. He is a member of the European Parliament and will be in that position for the next two years while the Brexit negotiations carry on.
"I won't be changing my mind again, I assure you," he said.
"I have decided to stand aside as leader of Ukip. The victory for the Leave side in the referendum means that my political ambition has been achieved. I came into this business because I wanted us to a self-governing nation, not to become a career politician," he said.
"Ukip is in a good position and will continue, with my full support to attract a significant vote. Whilst we will now leave the European Union the terms of our withdrawal are unclear. If there is too much backsliding by the government and with the Labour Party detached from many of its voters then Ukip's best days may yet to come," he added.
"Thank you to all my supporters in @UKIP and beyond. Delighted with the result we fought for so long to achieve. #BrexitBritain [sic]," tweeted Farage minutes after the press conference on Monday.
The resignation was welcomed and criticised alike on social media as some people saw it as him running away from his responsibility after initiating Brexit. Some reports said that he quit as Ukip leader as negotiations between the U.K. and the EU got tougher.
Jokes on social media derided the MEP after he announced his resignation.
