UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said he will not be standing in the Newark by-election, sparked by disgraced former Tory minister Patrick Mercer's decision to quit over a cash-for-questions scandal.
Nigel Farage has told ITV News he is "going to think very hard" about whether to stand as Ukip's candidate in the Newark by-election triggered by Patrick Mercer's resignation as an MP.
When asked whether he would run in the poll, Farage said: "I'm going to think about it. We're very keen to get our first MP in Westminster because once that happens, the damn will burst."
The by-election is expected to take place in the summer, soon after next month's European elections.
Nigel Farage believes efforts to discredit him and his party are failing - and the polls suggest he may well be right.
Almost one third of Britons think that Ukip is a racist party, according to a new ITV News/ComRes poll.