Nigel Farage says he only ran to be MP once as other six times 'weren't serious'

Nigel Farage on BBC Question Time. Photograph: BBC. - Credit: Archant

Nigel Farage has said he has only ran for parliament once seriously – despite appearing on the ballot paper for Westminster seven times.

The Brexit Party leader was responding to claims he was an “undemocratic leader” running the most undemocratic party in the UK and “refusing to run in a constituency” himself.

He refuted the claims by saying rather than running an actual party by saying he was running a “tech start-up” instead.

“There wasn’t time to build a democratic party, that is how we did it, I have no regrets about that at all.

“As the Brexit Party develops over time it will democratise in times, but we were a start-up in 2019, and I would argue we’ve had a very dramatic on politics already.”

Pressed on whether he was really doesn’t want to be a career politician he was asked why he stood seven times for parliament.

He said: “Once in reality”.

Presenter Fiona Bruce asked about his comments in 2015 when he said that it was not “credible” for him to lead a party without a seat in Westminster.

Farage said: “I regret that bitterly. I was hunkered down in one constituency, I didn’t have a chance to go around the country, I wasn’t doing the same thing again.

“And I would say this to you, I’ve only once challenged for parliament seriously. All the other times I wanted to put a message out, and I used elections to do it.”

He said “it might have taken twenty years, but it worked”.

The Brexit Party leader also denied his funding came from big donors, saying Arron Banks had never donated a penny to the organisation.

He said suggestions they had big money backers was an “endless conspiracy theory”, and said all £3 million came from online supporters in £25 donations.