A UKIP election candidate who stood for leadership of the party in 2016 criticised the party’s “disastrous” election and said they need to stop “banging on about banning Burkas”.

Phillip Broughton, from Hartlepool, said he will not be standing as a candidate in the Ukip leadership contest this time around and was taking a break from politics.

In a statement published on his website, Mr Broughton said: “When I stood in last year’s leadership contest, I said that the party must broaden the message by talking about more than just Europe and immigration and we must change our tone.

“I warned if the party didn’t do these things, it risked becoming irrelevant.

“Following the disastrous results for Ukip in the General Election two weeks ago, my arguments have been proved right.

“Instead of banging on about banning Burkas, we need to bang on about the NHS, schools, law and order, and the economy.

“The party now faces a choice that it can no longer ignore – change or die.”

Mr Broughton lost out in the Hartlepool seat to Labour’s Mike Hill in the general election.