UK Independence Party chief Farage quits as political turmoil continues

The head of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, resigned on Monday as party leader, the latest political leader to tumble amid the turmoil following the country's vote to leave the European Union.

Farage's departure makes him the third major political figure to announce plans to step aside rather than take ownership of the tumultuous times ahead as the country navigates its departure from the single market of some 500 million people. An odd power vacuum has replaced the staid if boisterous predictability normally typical of British politics since the June 23 EU referendum.

"During the referendum campaign, I said I want my country back. What I'm saying today is I want my life back, and it begins right now," Farage told reporters.