Nigel Farage resigns: Most infamous quotes from outgoing Ukip leader

Nigel Farage, one of the most divisive political figures Britain has ever seen, has announced he will stand down as leader Ukip after achieving his main goal of getting Britain to leave the EU.

During his resignation speech, Farage praised the "people's army of Ukip" and the rise of his party for not only getting a Referendum asking if Britain should remain in the EU, but helping to get a 52% majority vote to leave.

In one sound bite, Farage said: "During the referendum, I said I want my country back. What I'm saying today, is I want my life back, and it begins right now."

Following his resignation, IB Times UK looks at some of the most controversial quotes from Farage down the years as he campaigned against everything EU and immigration.

"I think they made mistake in doing that." - Speaking to ITV the morning of the EU Ref result admitting the Leave campaign should not have promised to take the £350m Britain sends to the EU and spend it on the NHS.

"There are 7,000 diagnoses in this country every year for people who are HIV positive, which is not a good place for any of them to be, but 60% are not British nationals. You can come to Britain from anywhere in the world and get diagnosed with HIV and get the retroviral drugs that cost up to £25,000 per year per patient. I know there are some horrible things happening in many parts of the world, but what we need to is put the National Health Service there for British people and families who in many cases have paid into this system for decades." - Discussing foreigners using the NHS during the 2015 General Election live televised debates.

"Tuberculosis is costing the National Health Service a great deal of money, and much of that is coming from southern and eastern Europe." Defending his statement on foreigners with HIV being given NHS care.

"We will have done it without having to fight, without a single bullet being fired." - Farage pre-empts Brexit, just over a week after the killing of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was shot and stabbed to death.

"But there's certainly only one thing I could never agree with George Galloway on. He's a teetotaller and wants to close all the bars in the House of Commons. That is just not on." - Describing new political ally George Galloway

"Isn't it funny — you know, when I came here 17 years ago and I said that I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union, you all laughed at me. Well I have to say, you're not laughing now." - Making friends while speaking to fellow MEPs in the European Parliament's first meeting since Britain voted to leave the EU.

"I intend to take the summer off, enjoy myself a little bit - not do very much politics at all. There will be a leadership election for the next leader of Ukip in September and I will consider over the course of this summer whether to put my name forward to do that job again." - Giving his previous resignation speech following the 2015 General election before announcing his return three days later.

"You don't know that – they are coming from all over the world. If you get back to the Geneva Convention definition, you will find very few people that came into Europe last year would actually qualify as genuine refugees." – When told the people in the controversial 'Breaking Point' poster are Syrian refugees.

"Any normal and fair-minded person would have a perfect right to be concerned if a group of Romanian people suddenly moved in next door." - Defending a similar statement he made about Romanian families while giving an interview for LBC radio.

"I think that politics needs a bit of spicing up. This just happens to be a fresh attempt to bring in some of the icons of the young and the apolitical and to get them into the whole debate on joining the economic and monetary union." - Defending a British anti-Euro currency advert featuring Adolf Hitler in 2002.

"I haven't got a clue whether climate change is being driven by carbon-dioxide emissions." - Weighing in on climate change