Nigel Farage to remain UKIP leader

British newspaper the Guardian reports that Nigel Farage has announced that he is to remain as UK Independence Party (UKIP)  leader after the party rejected his resignation.  Farage said he would stand down after failing to win a seat in last week's general election.

However, the party said there was "overwhelming evidence" the UKIP membership did not want Farage to go.

"He has therefore been persuaded to withdraw his resignation and remains leader of UKIP," the party said.

The party's chairman Steve Crowther said the party's national executive committee believed the election campaign had been a "great success" and that they had "unanimously" rejected Farage's letter of resignation.