Paul Nuttall's Passionate Defence Of UKIP Following Carswell Blow

26 March 2017, 18:15 | Updated: 26 March 2017, 18:53

In this interview with UKIP leader Paul Nuttall, Stig Abell quizzes him about the future of UKIP and whether he feels he's in the shadow of Nigel Farage.

Following the loss of UKIP's only MP Douglas Carswell, who left the party to go independent, Paul Nuttall spoke to Stig Abell to defend the party's future. 

Mr Nuttall said that he doesn't think loss of the party's only MP means the end because the party still has an important political role.

Stig pointed out that the "voice most centrally quoted" in the story is former leader Nigel Farage.

He asked Paul Nuttall: "Does the ghost of Nigel bother you Paul?...Is he the Maggie Thatcher to your John Major?"

Paul laughed and hesitated, before saying: "Possibly not."

Stig, laughing, interjected: "He is, isn't he? He is!"

Paul said: "No! Maybe I'm the Lloyd George to his Ashworth."

The pair then went on to discuss the future of UKIP. 

Paul said: "Two days ago, Stig, we were on 12 per cent in the opinion polls, and membership has risen, whereby twice as many people have joined UKIP in February, than left. 

"It's not all doom and gloom. We've had a couple of tricky months with the Stoke by-election and Douglas leaving now, but we'll get over it. 

"This isn't the obituary of UKIP, we're going to re-brand the party over the Summer, we're re-writing the constitution, we're re-structuring the party, and we're coming up with radical policies which will basically be launched at the conference in September."

Stig asked: "Can we agree, Paul, that if in the next general election, whenever it is, probably 2020, UKIP doesn't have more than one MP in parliament, that will have failed, and you will have failed."

Paul simply answered: "Yes."