Nigel Farage's message to his critics: 'Put up or shut up or go'

Video: The Ukip leader clearly isn't going anywhere

(JUSTIN TALLIS | AFP | Getty Images)

After the general election comes the in-party fighting.

No, not from Labour after their "surprise" defeat or from the decimated Liberal Democrats, but Ukip, the relatively successful party that achieved four million votes.

This week has seen a host of recriminations and briefings between different factions of the party over Nigel Farage's leadership. Mr Farage stood down after losing in South Thanet, but his resignation letter was refused by Ukip’s national executive.

However, Ukip’s economics spokesperson Patrick O’Flynn told The Times that Mr Farage had transformed into a “snarling, thin-skinned, aggressive” man after the election.

Mr Farage was asked about the party in-fighting, to which he said there wasn't any, arguing that only two people out of 47,000 party members had spoken out against him.

He said that we would be having "interviews without coffee" with his critics.

Mr Farage has argued that he has “phenomenal” support from his own activists.

Still, the problems will not go away. Major party donor Stuart Wheeler told BBC Radio 5Live that the leader should resign and take part in a leadership contest if he wanted to remain in his post.

Ukip's voteshare rose in every constituency apart from two in last week's general election.

The party saw a 9.5 per cent rise in voteshare across the electorate in last week’s general election, a swing which Labour officials admit cost them seats.