UKIP MEP David Coburn just compared Nigel Farage to Winston Churchill

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A likeness Nigel Farage might appreciate, he has been compared to World War II Prime Minister by UKIP MEP David Coburn.

Coburn, who monumentally failed in the constituency of Falkirk at last week’s election – losing his deposit and coming behind the SNP, Labour and even the Conservatives, made the comment about his party leader on Twitter.

The UKIP MEP for Scotland tweeted to say: “Nigel Farage is the greatest man this country has produced since Churchill Enough said UKIP.”

Predictably his tweet was met with mockery and criticism. Some asked if he was the “greatest man”, why he failed to get elected in Thanet South last week.

Coburn is UKIP’s most senior openly gay politician, who has repeatedly caused controversy with offensive remarks, lost out to the SNP’s John McNally, who picked up the seat from former Labour politician Eric Joyce.

Mr Coburn rarely holds back while discussing political rivals – previously branding Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson a “fat lesbian”, branding Ed Miliband an a***hole” and comparing then-SNP leader Alex Salmond to dictator Robert Mugabe.

Despite being gay, the UKIP MEP is a fierce critic of the gay rights movement, claiming that same-sex marriage supporters are “equality Nazis” – and that the Lib Dems and Labour want to ban him from having sex.

Mr Farage last week decided to stay on as UKIP leader – despite pledging to resign. He stood down on Friday, after he was beaten by Tory Craig MacKinlay in the South Thanet constituency.

The politician made good on his pledge to step down if he failed to become an MP – but had a change of heart, after being persuaded to stay by the party’s execs.