UKIP leader Nigel Farage deserves a break after devoting 25 years of his life to leaving the European Union, according to party colleagues in south Essex.

Mr Farage, 52, announced he was stepping down yesterday in the latest in a series of political shocks since Britain voted to leave the EU last month, achieving the Ukip leader’s long-held ambition.

Fellow MEP and Thurrock councillor Tim Aker, who has ruled out standing for the leadership, said: “I would like to thank Nigel Farage for everything he has done for the party and country.

“We would not have got a referendum on the EU or voted to Leave without his incredible work and resilience over the last 23 years. He has made tremendous sacrifices to the cause of leaving the EU and will go down as one of the greatest political figures in Britain.”

Basildon Ukip leader Linda Allport-Hodge said she agreed with Mr Farage that, with Labour in disarray, Ukip’s “best days may yet come”.

She said: “I’m extremely saddened by it, but it’s Nigel’s choice, he’s made it clear he needs to spend more time with his family and I do believe no we’ve secured a Leave vote in the referendum, Ukip has a new role under new leadership occupying he centre ground as an alternative to Labour and the Conservatives. I think the referendum showed Ukip was always the voice of the working class.”

One man pleased by Mr Farage’s resignation was Clacton MP and leadership rival Douglas Carswell, Ukip’s only MP, whose Twitter response to the news was simple a smiley face wearing sunglasses.

Castle Point Ukip councillor Paul Varker joked on their well-publicised rivalry: “Douglas is Douglas and Nigel is Nigel and never the twain shall meet.”

Mr Farage left the Tories in 1992 in protest at Prime Minister John Major signing the Maastricht Treaty, which turned the European Economic Community into the EU, and was a founding member of Ukip the following year.

He was elected an MEP in 1999 and became leader of the party in 2006, leading it to victory in the 2014 European Parliament elections, where Ukip came first in the UK .