Ukip's only MP Douglas Carswell says Nigel Farage was 'electorally disastrous'

‘The chances of me becoming Ukip leader are somewhere between nil and zero,’ says Carswell

Douglas Carswell has ruled out a bid to become the next Ukip leader - and branded the outgoing Nigel Farage "electorally disastrous".

Shortly after Mr Farage announced his resignation, Mr Carswell responded by tweeting a smiling emoji wearing sunglasses causing outrage among some long-standing Ukip supporters.

Speaking on BBC's Daily Politics, the MP for Clacton strongly refuted any chance of running for leader. He also described Mr Farage's controversial campaign tactics and policies as "electorally disastrous"

He said: “The chances of me becoming Ukip leader are somewhere between nil and zero.

“My role is to steer Ukip away from the temptations of becoming an angry nativist party.

“We went too far and I criticised it when we went too far and it's not just morally wrong, it’s electorally disastrous.”

In recent months, his relationship with the Ukip leader has deteriorated significantly climaxing in the last days of the EU Referendum campaign.

He said: "This is a decent generous country. People have a legitimate right to feel a sense of anger with their politicians but the answer to that is not to play on people’s fear and anger but to promise the hope of something better and if we can do that, we can be part of a great change.

"I never want to be in a party where the Archbishop of Canterbury feels compelled to criticise some of the things that people say."

The MP for Clacton slammed the pro-leave "breaking point" poster unveiled among much controversy by Farage.

The poster shows Syrian refugees queuing to enter Slovenia alongside the messages "breaking point, the EU has failed us" and "we must break free of the EU and take back control of our borders"

Mr Carswell added: "I was highly critical because it was deeply wrong and every time I see someone in politics in any party who tries to get votes by playing on a sense of other.

"Whether it is on the left trying to demonise the 1 per cent or on the right trying to demonise the outsider I think it is incumbent on all of us to speak out and say that is wrong."

When asked if he accepted his actions at the time were disloyal, Mr Carswell responded: "It was loyal to my constituents and to the hope of a happier, better country."