Nigel Farage calls on the Archbishop of Canterbury to step down

Nigel Farage in Strasbourg, France, earlier this week. Reuters

Outgoing UKIP leader Nigel Farage has called on the Archbishop of Canterbury to resign.

He accused Archbishop Justin Welby of failing to stand up for Britain's "Christian culture".

"It's a great shame isn't it that the head of our established Church is not prepared to stand up for our Christian culture in this country. He's somebody that should go too."

He was speaking to Sky News before delivering his valedictory speech as UKIP leader.

Farage, who has shared a platform with US Republican nominee Donald Trump, also criticised Douglas Carswell, UKIP's only remaining MP, who left the Conservatives to join the party.

He said: "I don't know why he joined. Genuinely, I don't know why he joined. He doesn't seem to support anything we stand for - it's very odd."

Farage was at the UKIP conference in Bournemouth where a new leader is being elected.

He was criticising Welby in response to comments made by the Archbishop earlier this year.

The Archbishop of Canterbury was answering questions on migration and asylum seekers at a House of Commons selected committee when he criticised Farage as "inexcusable" and accused him of "legitimising racism".

He was also strongly critical of Trump, saying he agreed with Pope Francis who had said "anyone who only builds walls and not bridges is not a Christian". On banning Muslims from entering the United States, Welby said: "It is certainly not a Christian thing to do, nor is it a rational thing to do. It does not respect the dignity of the human being."

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