Nigel Farage backs Andrea Leadsom for prime minister

Nigel Farage has praised Andrea Leadsom for having the "guts" to take on Brussels, and dismissed Theresa May as "cold" and lacking courage.

The outgoing Ukip leader said he was backing Mrs Leadsom in an article he wrote for the Mail on Sunday.

In it, he said that he "hardly knew" the prime ministerial candidate, but said that he found her "very open, straightforward and even friendly" while sharing a platform with her during the EU referendum campaign.

In contrast, Mr Farage labelled the Home Secretary "very cold", adding: "I've never met anyone, no matter how long or how closely they have worked with her, who can claim to know her, or what makes her tick.

"I believe that it is important that the country can get a feel for the character of their leader. Mrs May might as well be made of alabaster."

Mrs Leadsom has insisted she does not have any ties to Ukip, telling The Times: "They don't advise me, I don't know them, I've never even met Arron Banks.

"My big hope in this campaign is that when we leave the EU that Ukip will be a thing of the past."