Cheerio, Nigel Farage, these were your best bits

Nigel Farage stood down as Ukip leader on Monday, saying in a speech that his "political ambition has been achieved" now that the UK has voted to leave the European Union.

Given that his last resignation after failing to win a seat in the 2015 general election lasted just four days, the annoucement has been greeted with some skepticism.

As the sun sets on this chapter of his Westminster career, we take a look back at some of Farage's low/highlights...

1

When you called yourself a victim when talking about Jo Cox and refugees.

Just before the EU referendum, Farage claimed that he too has been a victim of "political hatred":

I think I’ve been a politician that has been a victim of it [hatred] to be honest with you.

2

When you said you'd started smoking again because doctors "have got it wrong".

3

When you seemed to miss the irony in saying we shouldn't listen to unelected old men about the EU.

4

When you said you can't be racist because you have black voters.

5

When you went on Sean Hannity's Fox News show and literally got fact-checked.

6

When you literally stood on a tank.

7

When you 'accidentally' left your conference speech notes behind.

8

When you tried your hardest to appeal to female voters.

9

When you teamed up with Paddy Power for an admittedly not terrible Ryder Cup promotion.

10

When you found new ways to be as offensive as possible when asked a question about women's football.

"Here's the bigger question. Do we think, chaps, when we're there in the front line, when the balloon goes up, with fixed bayonets, when the whistle's about to blow to go over the top, do we actually want to be there with women beside us? Do we? What an extraordinarily bizarre idea! I certainly don't think so.

"But maybe it's because I've got so many women pregnant over the years that I have a different view. I find it very difficult to think that we could stand up and run over the top together, into the machine guns or whatever. Men and women are different - thank God!"

11

Just this.

12

When you said mothers were being "openly ostentatious" when breastfeeding, and suggested women should "sit in the corner" while nursing.

Right...

13

When you had the mother of all Question Time ding-dongs with Russell Brand.

14

When you asked an open-ended question.

And got an open-ended answer.

15

When you actually defended the use of a racial slur.

Kerry Smith, the Ukip candidate for Basildon South in Essex, was dismissed after it was revealed he used the words “disgusting poofters” and referred to a woman with a Chinese name as a “chinky bird”.

Speaking of his dismissal Farage said Smith “speaks in a way that a lot of people from that background do” and also asked “if you and your mates were going out for a Chinese, what do you say you’re going for?”.

...

16

When you told us that your favourite immigrants were from Australia or India.

17

When you just kept on being wrong about immigrants suffering from HIV.

18

When you malfunctioned during the leaders' debate last year.

19

When you tried to make the case for decriminalising discrimination, which apparently is not an issue in the UK anymore.

I would argue that the law does need changing, and that if an employer wishes to choose, or you can use the word 'discriminate' if you want to, but wishes to choose to employ a British-born person, they should be allowed to do so. I think you should be able to choose on the basis of nationality, yes. I do.

20

And finally, when you gave us one of the most brilliantly awkward radio interviews ever endured/enjoyed.

Thanks for everything Nigel, you've been awfully great.

More: 8 of the most misleading promises of the Vote Leave campaign, ranked in order of preposterousness