Paul Nuttalls from Ukips, as he was famously once coined by comedian Stewart Lee, has resigned effective immediately as leader of the party he absolutely insists is ‘more relevant than ever’.
Given all the – warranted – focus on Corbyn’s remarkable performance, which has left parliament hanging like every Labour Party member that saw the night through in the pub, it’s easy to overlook the fact that Ukip had a truly terrible day at the polls.
Let’s not overlook it.
Ukip failed to claim a single seat in Westminster, taking 3,308 votes in Boston and Skegness – more than 10,000 fewer than the party's result in 2015. That was enough to prompt the 40-year-old Merseysider to announce he was stepping down from the job he only took in November of last year.
As you might expect, there wasn’t much sympathy for Nuttall on social media as it became clear that people weren’t particularly fussed about a party that exists solely to rant endlessly about Britain leaving the European Union, something that was confirmed as impending nearly an entire year ago. In fact, as a tribute to the widespread support, Nuttall appears to have deleted his Twitter account.
UKIP is finished. But at least Paul Nuttall can go back to his day job as Poet Laureate.
— Sue Perkins (@sueperkins) June 8, 2017
Paul Nuttall haha more like Paul fuck-all-votes amirite lads #BBCElection
— Abby Tomlinson (@twcuddleston) June 8, 2017
Paul Nuttall has ruled himself out of becoming Prime Minister saying "I'm not doing that again."
— Keith Foster (@Keef76) June 8, 2017
Paul Nuttall press conference. He hasn't used spin like this since he last won Wimbledon.
— Stephen Evans (@StephenEvans256) June 9, 2017
Paul Nuttall resigns to spend more time in the houses he's never lived in.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) June 9, 2017
Don't feel too bad for Paul Nuttall for being defeated - remember he has literally every single career to fall back on. #ElectionDay2017
— HannahJane Parkinson (@ladyhaja) June 9, 2017
“It is clear that Ukip requires a new focus, new ideas and a new energy – and it is there amongst out ranks,” Nuttall told reporters, assuring them that Ukip would continue to be the ‘guard dogs of Brexit’. “I think, regardless of the score last night, I have laid the foundations for the future in this General Election campaign but it will be for someone else to build on those.”
As for his successor, it’s rumoured that Donald Trump’s pint-swigging BFF Nigel Farage *could*, for roughly the 36th time, surge in to rescue the party he made famous.
How exciting…
(Image: Rex)
