Nigel Farage has had his resignation as Ukip leader rejected by the party's national executive committee and he remains as leader.

Mr Farage announced in the wake of his defeat in South Thanet that he would quit the post, as he had repeatedly promised to do if he failed to enter the Commons.

But Ukip chairman Steve Crowther said the party's national executive committee (NEC) believed the election campaign had been a ''great success'' and said members of the committee ''unanimously'' rejected Mr Farage's letter of resignation.

Mr Crowther said: ''As promised, Nigel Farage tendered his official resignation as leader of Ukip to the NEC. This offer was unanimously rejected by the NEC members, who produced overwhelmingly evidence that the Ukip membership did not want Nigel to go.''