By Martin Banks - 1st October 2009
He is by some distance our best performer and best-known politician
Nikki Sinclaire
Nigel Farage is being pressed to reconsider his decision to quit as Ukip leader.
Farage plans to stand as a candidate in the next UK general election in the same Buckinghamshire constituency as John Bercow, the speaker of the House of Commons.
He still intends to lead Ukip's 13-strong group of MEPs and remain joint leader of the eurosceptic group to which they are affiliated in parliament.
But Ukip leadership hopeful Nikki Sinclaire, who was elected in June's European elections, has written to Farage asking him to reconsider his decision.
"He is by some distance our best performer and best-known politician and we need him to stay as leader, at least until the next election," she told this website.
Sinclaire is one of three confirmed candidates for the leadership, along with Malcolm Pearson, a British peer who defected to Ukip from the Tories, and John Batten, who was re-elected an MEP in June.
However, she said she would happily stand aside if Farage agrees to continue as leader.
She said, "We should not be spending the estimated £25,000 on an election contest which is unnecessary. We should, instead, focus on what we regard as the enemy - the EU.
"Holding this election now means we run the risk of taking our eye off the ball at a crucial time in the run-up to an election in Britain
"I have written to Nigel suggesting he hands over some of his responsibilities in Brussels to someone else or other people allowing him time to focus on his campaign in the UK.
"But I have told him we need him to stay on as leader because he is clearly the best man for the job."
Nominations for the leadership contest have to be lodged by 26 October. The outcome of the ballot of the party's 18,000 members will be known on 27 November.
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