Nigel Farage has insisted he will support “whoever the next leader” of Ukip is as the party prepared to unveil his successor.
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Diane James, an MEP and ally of Nigel Farage, has been elected as the U.K. Independence Party (UKIP) ‘s new leader.
James promised to make UKIP push the government to achieve a “true, 100% European Union exit” amid rumours of the possibility of a so-called “Brexit light” deal with the bloc.
Ms James raised some eyebrows in a 2015 interview by declaring her admiration for Russian president Vladimir Putin, describing him as “a strong leader” who stands up for his country.
The party is “handicapped by a flawed, morally bankrupt first-past-the-post [electoral] system”, James said.
Today the new leader – who won 47% of members’ votes – was forced to deny “purging” her enemies after the Mirror asked about the shake-up. It didn’t matter to me that history said it was impossible to get a new party off the ground.
However, James has also voted against LGBTI rights measures in the European Parliament and previously defended homophobic politicians within the party.
He said: “I’m happy, upbeat and really pleased to have got almost 13 per cent of the votes, bearing in mind I’m not a national spokesman, I’m just a West Midlands chap who got out there”.
She said that with the Brexit vote, Ukip has “only just won a heat in a 28-member state Olympic competition to leave the European Union”.
In the aftermath of internal party fights she made a plea for unity, telling the conference hall to support her, work with her and “make Ukip the winning machine it will become”.
“The harvest of votes we could potentially get from the Labour Party hasn’t even started yet”.
But the party conference has been overshadowed by party divisions.
The 56-year-old then joined UKIP shortly after the 2011 election – and has worked her way up through the party, holding a number of high profile positions including deputy chairman and spokeswoman for justice and home affairs.
An ex-Tory supporter, she became an independent councillor in 2007 after abandoning the party, before ultimately joining UKIP.
Mr Farage, who has clashed repeatedly with the party’s ruling National Executive Committee, said that Ukip needed to reform its party structures. “I say “reunite”, that’s probably a bit unfair but we’ve had a very very hard time”.
“And I’m very, very grateful and I appreciate all of the other countries now looking to Britain and hoping to emulate what we have done here in their own countries”.
I have put all of me into this.
He said he would remain active in political life, with plans to travel across Europe to meet similar political movements, but would not seek to influence the new UKIP leader.
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Bill Etheridge, Lisa Duffy, Liz Jones and Phillip Broughton also contested the election.
