Nigel Farage: 99 problems and one MP

A defeat, a resignation, a comeback and now more calls for a resignation. It's been a strange week for UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

Seven days ago he hoped he was on the verge of finally taking his place in House of Commons as an elected MP.

Things could have been so different had he managed to convince another 2,812 people to vote for him.

That was the margin of defeat when he lost to his Conservative rival in the seat of Thanet South in Kent.

Nobody enjoyed the moment more than Al Murray who was also standing for election in the guise of The Pub Landlord for the Free United Kingdom Party.

That was supposed to be the end. For weeks, the UKIP leader said he would quit as party leader if he didn't win.

"I'm a man of my word" was his claim spoke on the lawn outside a hotel in Margate to confirm he was standing down.

But his retirement lasted just three days. It's claimed the party rejected his resignation and he accepted their calls for him to stay on as leader.

You can see why. UKIP only had one MP elected last week but the party still managed to pick up nearly four million votes and was the third most popular party when you break it down into voter numbers.

Many think that's all down to the appeal of Nigel Farage and without him as leader there's a risk support for the party might fall away.

But it's becoming clear some in the party aren't thrilled about the change of heart.

One man who has turned on his leader is Patrick O'Flynn, UKIP's campaign chief and former political editor of the Daily Express. He's been seen as a key supporter of Nigel Farage in recent months but has launched a surprise attack.

UKIP's economic spokesman Patrick O'Flynn

In an interview with The Times he described the UKIP leader as a "snarling, thin-skinned, aggressive" man.

Although he later said he wanted Mr Farage to remain as leader he added: "We've seen too much aggression, we've seen too much complaining."

And he pinned the blame on some of his team of advisers.

Change his mind about changing his mind?

One of them is thought to be Nigel Farage's chief of staff Raheem Kassam who "no longer works" for the party, according to reports this afternoon.

Earlier he tweeted: What a lovely start to my holiday!

Another Farage supporter has also called on the UKIP leader to change his mind about changing his mind.

Stuart Wheeler, a big UKIP donor, told the BBC: "I would like him to step down, at least for the moment. And if he wants to put himself up in an election, then he has every right to do so, though I personally would prefer somebody else now."

What about that one MP then?

Douglas Carswell was UKIP's only success story on election night but says he doesn't want to take over as leader. He is responsible for a separate row though.

He's resisting pressure from the party to claim £650,000 of taxpayers' money to pay for to 15 additional members of staff.

Parties in the House of Commons get £16,700 per MP as well as an additional £33.33 for every 200 votes won nationally in the general election.

The MP for Clacton says spending that amount of taxpayers' money is "not what we're about".

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