Nigel Farage: I could lead Ukip again

Nigel Farage has raised the prospect of a return to front line politics, saying he may have "no choice" but to take up the reins once again as leader of Ukip.

It would be the fourth time he had led the party, after his stint in a caretaker capacity when Diane James resigned after 18 days in the post last October. He also held the job from 2006 to 2009 and again from 2010 to 2016.

Tonight he said he had been "thrilled" to give up the Ukip leadership after last summer's EU referendum, but he now feared that Brexit was in doubt. "If we get a coalition we may well be looking down the barrel of a second referendum," he told the BBC.

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Asked by David Dimbleby if he might consider resuming his former role, he said: "In those circumstances, I would have no choice but to do just that."

Putting Theresa May, who backed Remain during the referendum campaign, in charge of Brexit had been a "huge mistake", Farage said.

A few moments later, on ITV News, he stepped up his criticism of the Prime Minister. "Whatever happens tonight," he said, "Theresa May is toast."

Did Nigel Farage visit Julian Assange - and why?

10 March

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage was yesterday spotted leaving the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been holed up since 2012.

The MEP, who left the building at around midday, after 40 minutes inside, refused to say why he was there, apparently telling a BuzzFeed News reporter he couldn't remember what he had been doing, before clarifying: "I never discuss where I go or who I see."

However, a source close to Farage confirmed to The Independent he had been visiting Assange, who has been hiding out in Knightsbridge to avoid extradition to Sweden over rape allegations, fearing that he will be extradited to the US over previous high-profile leaks.

The visit comes two days after WikiLeaks published a massive cache of CIA files online in what The Times described as "the worst security breach for western intelligence since the Edward Snowden leaks in 2013".

The White House has raised concerns about the leak, but claimed it happened under the Obama administration.

Farage is known to be close to US President Donald Trump and Assange was seen as pro-Trump during and after the US election.

"It is possible Assange was interviewing Farage for a broadcast he is planning or that Mr Farage, who presents a show on LBC radio and is a Fox News contributor, may have been interviewing him," says the Daily Mail.

Farage was apparently accompanied by Christian Mitchell, the producer of his LBC Radio programme.Assange has previously hosted a number of famous figures at the embassy, including US singer Lady Gaga, actor Pamela Anderson and former Manchester United star Eric Cantona.