Nigel Farage says he is 'thinking about' returning as Ukip leader after Paul Nuttall's resignation

Mr Nuttall said he was standing down as leader within hours of Ukip's disastrous election performance

Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage (PA)

Nigel Farage has said he is considering returning as Ukip leader after Paul Nuttall's resignation.

When asked whether he was contemplating taking on the position, the Brexiteer, who led the party until just after the EU referendum, told the BBC: "I'm thinking about it."

"It's not top of my bucket list. For me, getting the referendum, forcing the referendum and helping to win it, I thought I was done with it," he said.

"I'm going to watch very carefully, but I do think now we will see backsliding."

Mr Nuttall said he was standing down as leader within hours of Ukip's disastrous election performance, in which they won just two per cent of the vote.

He insisted he was “proud” of his party’s manifesto, which promised another crackdown on immigration, a bigger army and taking the axe to the “bloated” foreign aid budget.

But he said: “I am standing down today as the leader of Ukip with immediate effect.”

Mr Nuttall vowed that Ukip under his successor – to be in place by September – would continue to be a “straight talking” party that says “what everybody else is thinking”.

Mr Farage also told the broadcaster: "I suspect what we're gong to see is a Government that will struggle to get things through the commons, and I think we're probably headed towards a Norway-type situation two and a half years down the road.

"Norway is better than where we are now, but it's not where I want to finish up."