Date set for Newark by-election after Mercer resigns
The by-election was sparked by the resignation of Patrick Mercer who quit as MP for Newark after being investigated for allegedly taking cash to ask questions in Parliament.
Farage says fighting for Newark would make him look like 'an opportunist'
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has ruled out running for Parliament in the by-election in Newark triggered by the resignation of former Conservative MP Patrick Mercer.
The UKIP leader said: "I don't have any links with the East Midlands, I would just look like an opportunist and I don't think that would work."
Mr Farage said he did not want to do anything that would distract from the party's campaign for next month's European elections, where he predicted UKIP would cause an "earthquake in British politics".
He told the BBC: "I don't want to do anything that deflects from the European election campaign, so I am not going to stand in this by-election.
"I want to focus the next three weeks on winning the European elections."
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