Diane James has won the UKIP leadership contest, and will succeed Nigel Farage as the party’s leader.
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James said UKIP was a “winning machine” but warned the party had only won a “heat” in the race to leave the European Union and the exit document was not yet signed.
Shortly begorehand, Nigel Farage said he has given Ukip “absolutely all of me” as he revealed plans to tour Europe to foster Brexit-style “independence movements” after he stepped down as party leader.
“If we are going to reach and achieve the goals this party is still capable of achieving then change is going to have to happen”, she said.
As she took to the stage to take over from Mr Farage as the party’s new leader, Ms James paid tribute to the work of her predecessor.
Nigel Farage has insisted he will support “whoever the next leader” of Ukip is as the party prepared to unveil his successor.
He said: “I literally couldn’t have worked any harder or could not have been more determined”.
“I was anxious, losing somebody like Nigel Farage who has been a huge influence and a major game player [in] British politics – it was a worry that he was going”.
The ballots were closed Thursday.
But the party conference has been overshadowed by party divisions.
He told BBC Breakfast: “Following on from me won’t be easy because I’ve been a bit dominant, and some people like that and some don’t”.
James, a 56-year old member of the European Parliament, won 47 percent of party members votes against four other candidates.
An ally of Farage defected to the Conservatives on the eve of the conference, saying that Prime Minister Theresa May had delivered key elements of the UKIP manifesto since taking office in July and that droves of UKIP supporters were doing the same.
Emphasising UKIP’s role in holding the government to account over Brexit negotiations, she pledged to oppose associate membership or “Brexit-lite” and “unrestricted, uncontrolled” immigration into the EU.
Alex Phillips told Breitbart London: “I had a booking to go on [Daily Politics] but an ambush is hardly what it was, that is an absurd turn of phrase”.
Farage’s departure marked the end of an era for the party, which has achieved its initial objective to get Britain out of the EU.
Her name was mentioned as a potential leader when Farage announced he was to step down, and became the hot favourite when her main rival, Mr Steven Woolfe, was ruled out of the race after failing to submit his application in time. “I think it’s extraordinary that the speaker of the Ukip group in the Assembly should be replaced as the speaker by someone who’s just resigned in the assembly”.
He said: “I’m not giving up on politics completely”.
Asked if she would attempt to build bridges with Mr Carswell, she replied: “If Douglas would like to suggest a meeting I would happily entertain it”.
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The pair have an uneasy relationship and have disagreed strongly on wide-ranging policy issues, most notably the approach to the European Union referendum when they supported different Brexit groups.
