Diane James, favourite in the race to succeed Nigel Farage, has been elected to lead the UK Independence party (UKIP) following the historic Brexit vote in June.
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She also accused Theresa May of stealing UKIP’s policies and calling her “Magpie May”, adding she wants the party to be “battle ready” for a general election.
Led by the charismatic Mr Farage, who successfully tapped into a powerful anti-establishment mood among voters, the party won almost four million votes at a general election in 2015 and played a key role in persuading Britons to vote to leave the EU.
FORMER North West Hampshire general election candidate Diane James has won the contest to replace Nigel Farage as UKIP’s party leader.
She defeated four other candidates in a ballot of party members.
She has insisted that Brexit must mean “100% European Union exit” and that the pressure must be maintained on Prime Minister Theresa May’s government.
Mrs James fought off competition from her nearest rival, Cambridgeshire District councillor, Lisa Duffy (4591 votes) as well as Bill Etheridge (2052 votes), Phillip Broughton (1545 votes) and Elizabeth Jones (1203 votes).
Presenter Jonathan Dimbleby also appeared taken aback by the revelation and said: “Can we just record for posterity that you, Arron Banks, and Nigel Farage last night went skinny dipping off Bournemouth pier – is that what you said?”
Another challenge for James will be to get more MPs into the British parliament.
With a Labour party divided over its future direction, James expressed her ambition to make Ukip the second party in the country.
After declaring to a rapturous crowd of Ukip supporters that we got our country back Farage said: Four years ago, I predicted well cause an natural disaster in British politics.
Although less outspoken than the charismatic Farage, who resigned in July after achieving his political dream of helping Britain leave the European Union, James has still contributed to the controversy that often follows the anti mass-immigration party.
“It’s no good for Ukip, and I don’t think looking at him, and he doesn’t look very happy, I can’t believe it’s very good for him either”.
“It is not going to be change for change’s sake, it is not going to be change because I think I want to change it and I can’t justify it”.
“My motivation is that having seen where UKIP stands in the firmament of United Kingdom political life, I believe that I have the skill set, experience and knowledge to lead UKIP”, she wrote.
8,451 UKIP members voted for James to win the leadership contest.
Mr Hamilton – who seized the Welsh Assembly top job from Nathan Gill in a 4-3 vote slammed by Farage – hit back at his new leader.
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She warned Ukip MEPs will continue “being the thorn” in the side of the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.
