Paul Nuttall resigns as Ukip leader as party takes hammering in the polls

Paul Nuttall has resigned as leader of Ukip after the party was left humiliated after losing its only MP and suffering a collapse in its vote.

On a tumultuous night which left the UK with a hung parliament, Nuttall failed to win a seat in Boston and Skegness and lone MP Paul Oakley fell to the Conservatives in Clacton.

After Labour and the Conservatives both took thick slices out of the Ukip vote, the party’s share fell from a high of 12.6% to just 2%.

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In Houghton and Sunderland South, Ukip’s vote was down 15.78%, in Sunderland Central it was down 14.25%, and in Washington and Sunderland West it was cut by 12.85%.

Former party leader Mr Farage insisted that Ukip could benefit if the country elects a hung parliament.

He told LBC Radio: “If the result of this tonight is that we finish up without a government with a clear majority pushing for Brexit, then a huge gap opens in the political landscape for Ukip once again.”

But he said officials in Brussels “will have looked at the exit polls and be cheering very loudly because right now, if we believe the exit polls, Brexit is under a bit of threat”.

Mr Nuttall tweeted: “If the exit poll is true then Theresa May has put Brexit in jeopardy. I said at the start this election was wrong. Hubris.”

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