Bill Etheridge: UKIP in 'last chance saloon' as Nuttall resigns after election drubbing
UKIP is in the last chance saloon and needs to change tack to stay relevant, according to one of its leading figures – as party leader Paul Nuttall resigned.
The Eurosceptic party had been hoping to make gains in Thursday's poll, with Mr Nuttall running a campaign pledging to 'ensure there is no backsliding on Brexit'.
But after UKIP failed to gain a single seat in Westminster – and with Mr Nuttall coming third in Boston and Skegness – he opted to leave his position, saying: "A new era must begin with a new leader."
West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge said the party 'has no more lives left' and needs to reinvent itself, with UKIP's showing called 'an abysmal defeat' by one Black Country councillor.
Mr Etheridge told the Express & Star: "I think we're at a low ebb and the party has no more lives left.
"We have to refocus and become a more rounded party that has strong proposals for Britain based on the core values of individual freedom.
"I think there's a massive opportunity for that kind of party –we've got to set our sights on that.
"We need to become a modern libertarian party with individual freedom right at the core of everything we do."
Mr Etheridge said he is 'keeping his options open' regarding any future leadership bid and will speak to his colleagues before making a move.
As he announced his resignation yesterday morning, Mr Nuttall said he had left the foundations for the new leader to build on and ensured that the party was 'still on the pitch'.
He insisted UKIP was 'more relevant than ever' and would play the role in the coming months of the 'guard dogs of Brexit'.
A decline in the UKIP vote was seen across the country, with the party's vote share down to around 2 per cent nationally, splitting between Labour and the Conservatives.
Dudley Council's UKIP group leader Paul Brothwood said the party needed a period of soul-searching and welcomed Mr Nuttall's decision – labelling the party's manifesto 'disastrous'.
He said: "The key focus is for UKIP to look at itself. I'm pleased Paul Nuttall has resigned. It was a disastrous manifesto.
"It's not just Paul, some others also need to resign. They led the party to an abysmal defeat."
