Ms James had been regarded as the favourite to succeed Nigel Farage, who quit as leader following the UK’s vote to leave the EU.
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Upon accepting the leadership, James reminded UKIP members of their successes – and slammed Prime Minister Theresa May.
The party’s deputy chairperson will replace outgoing leader Nigel Farage.
The party’s new leader was announced at the Ukip conference in Bournemouth.
Having secured victory in the Brexit campaign, voters will legitimately want to know what else is stands for other than leaving the EU.
He said he has given UKIP “absolutely all of me” as he revealed plans to tour Europe to foster Brexit-style “independence movements” now that he has stepped down as party leader. But instead, Neil Hamilton has been axed from the planned list of speakers by the party’s new leader, Diane James.
Her refusal to take part in hustings debates with rivals during the leadership contest was seen by some as a sign of lack of enthusiasm for the role, but she insisted she was better able to press her case talking to activists directly.
She said her focus would be on party policies for the next general election, whenever it might be, describing Ukip as the “opposition party in waiting”.
The outgoing leader has repeatedly accused Mr Carswell of trying to split the party and previous year donor Arron Banks branded him “borderline autistic with mental illness wrapped in”.
“The threats to the referendum outcome are increasing by the day”, she said, adding she would reject “Brexit-lite”. “It seems a freakish way to unite the party”, he said.
Speaking at the Bournemouth International Centre, James said: “I am so pleased”.
“The only mechanism to put pressure on the government to keep the debate live and to make sure that those 17.4 million people (who voted “Leave”) get what they voted for is for UKIP to be healthy and for UKIP to be strong”.
Farage co-founded UKIP in 1993, growing it into Britain’s third party by the number of votes cast.
She then quietly carved her way through the party hierarchy becoming its deputy chairwoman and spokeswoman on justice and home affairs.
After again failing to win a seat in Westminster in the 2015 General Election, he quit as leader for three days before “unresigning” so he could led the party into the 2016 EU Referendum.
“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”.
“I can tell you he’s not coming back”, Mr Banks said in response to a question about whether Mr Farage would ever return as leader.
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Running against James for the leadership spot were Lisa Duffy, Bill Etheridge, Elizabeth Jones and Phillip Broughton. Today, James said “change” was “necessary and justified” in the party.
