Mr Farage said that Mr Nuttall, the current Ukip leader, had not had enough time to establish himself and that Ukip’s organisation has been “weak”.

It came after a disastrous night for Ukip, which haemorrhaged voters to both the Conservatives and Labour.

Mr Farage said that Brexit has been put “seriously at risk” and the “back sliding” on issues such as a hard Brexit had already begun in the Tory camp.