Paul Nuttall has been elected leader of the UK Independence Party, replacing Nigel Farage.
The 39-year-old Member of the European Parliament, who served as UKIP's deputy leader for six years, won 62.6% of support among party members.
Nuttall, who turns 40 on Wednesday, is one of the North West of England's three Ukip MEPs and had been Deputy Leader of UKIP since November 2010 and leader of UKIP in the European Parliament since November 2015.
Born in Bootle near Liverpool, he studied British Edwardian politics at Liverpool Hope University before going to live and work in Barcelona. On his return to Merseyside he became a university history lecturer. He joined Ukip in 2004. In 2015, during an episode of BBC's Question Time, he revealed he is a survivor of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium.
Paul Nuttall elected as UKIP leader
BBC News
28 November 2016
Paul Nuttall has been elected leader of the UK Independence Party, replacing Nigel Farage.
The 39-year-old Member of the European Parliament, who served as UKIP's deputy leader for six years, won 62.6% of support among party members.
Mr Nuttall defeated former deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans and ex-soldier John Rees-Evans.
It is UKIP's second leadership election this year, previous winner Diane James having quit after 18 days in the role.
Mr Farage acted as interim leader while the second leadership race took place.
"There will be one theme - unity - because only unity breeds success," Mr Nuttall told an audience of UKIP members after the result.
Mr Nuttall took 9,622 votes. Ms Evans came second with 2,973 votes (19.3%) and Mr Rees-Evans third with 2,775 votes (18.1%).
There were 32,757 ballot papers sent out, with 15,405 votes cast.
Mr Nuttall said his first act as leader was to appoint MEP Peter Whittle as his deputy.
Paul Nuttall elected as UKIP leader - BBC News
BREAKING NEWS: Paul Nuttall warns Ukip rebels 'only unity breeds success' after he is elected to replace Nigel Farage after months of party civil warBy Tim Sculthorpe, Mailonline Deputy Political Editor
28 November 2016
Merseyside-born Paul Nuttall will be seen by the party as being the ideal person to appeal to the working class voters in the north of England that the party is targetting
Paul Nuttall has been elected as Ukip's second leader in 10 weeks, beating Suzanne Evans by a landslide into second place.
Ukip will hope the new election will draw a line under months of bitter infighting sparked by feuding over Nigel Farage's legacy and approach to politics.
After his landslide victory with 62.2 per cent of the vote was confirmed, Mr Nuttall said: 'Only unity breeds success.'
He added: 'To those who do not want to unify and want to continue fighting the battles of the past, I'm afraid your time in Ukip is coming to an end.'
Mr Nuttall said it was 'day zero' for the party as he ordered 'all factions to come together'.
The new Ukip leader vowed to hold the Government's feet to the fire and 'ensure Brexit really does mean Brexit'.
And he channelled Donald Trump by insisting Ukip would ensure 'Britain gets the Brexit it voted for and then we will put the great back into Great Britain'.
Paul Nuttall was elected Ukip leader by a landslide today and was immediately congratulated on stage by Nigel Farage
A jubilant Mr Nuttall warned rebels inside the party they would have to unify or face being kicked out of the party
Mr Nuttall immediately turned his fire on the Labour Party, which faces Ukip in dozens of marginal seats, vowing to 'stand up for real working people' while Jeremy Corbyn's party wrings its hands about Palestine and climate change.
The announcement frees Mr Farage from his duties as 'interim leader' and means the Brexit champion can return to his plan to 'get my life back'.
As the leadership event began, Mr Farage joked he would make the winner 'sign in blood' the correct paperwork to take on the job full time.
Mr Farage was thrust back into the breach last month when Diane James quit the leadership after just 18 days without ever completing the paperwork required to officially take the post. She has since quit the party altogether.
Taking the leadership back on did not stop Mr Farage racing to America to pose with President-elect Donald Trump but he has made clear his desire to step back from the front line of running a party to pursue his own interests.
He claimed Brexit and the rise of Ukip 'directly led to the establishment getting beaten' on November 8 when Mr Trump won the White House.
And declaring Ukip would win four million votes if an election were held tomorrow, Mr Farage told his successor: 'There is no longer any need for pessimism in Ukip.'
Mr Farage said he would not be a 'back seat driver' but would offer help to the new leader if they asked, vowing to serve out his term as an MEP.
Outgoing Ukip leader Nigel Farage today quipped he would make the winner 'sign in blood' to ensure they do not resign within days - brandishing the official paperwork on stage in Westminster this morning
Paul Nuttall, pictured today arriving at the leadership announcement, is a former deputy leader and chairman of Ukip and is the hot favourite to take the top job
Ukip's new leader faces a stiff challenge to bring together warring factions divided over Mr Farage's legacy and his approach to politics.
The latest leadership contest was marred by an actual fight in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, leaving leading contender Steven Woolfe in hospital.
Angry clashes between the final three candidates and others who have dropped out - particularly Raheem Kassam, Mr Farage's former chief of staff - will raise fears the new leader will find it impossible to bring the party together.
Its major donor, Arron Banks, has cut off funding and spoken publicly of plans to launch his own political movement with hundreds of Westminster candidates.
If Ukip does unite, Labour's leadership will face a challenge on a new front.
Suzanne Evans, pictured arriving for the announcement today, has the support of many senior figure - including MEP Patrick O'Flynn, left - but is expected to finish second today
Outsider in the leadership contest, John Rees-Evans, arriving for the announcement in Westminster today. He is a former soldier most famous for making a gaffe about a 'homosexual donkey'
Douglas Carswell, Ukip's only MP, arrived for the announcement today promising to work with whoever is victorious after months of infighting
Senior Labour backbencher Dan Jarvis warned in The Times: 'There are very few Labour MPs, if any, who would say that they are in what's traditionally been referred to as safe seats. I'm not sure such a thing exists any more.
'It is clear to me that the Ukip fox is in the Labour henhouse and we have got to make a decision about what we want to do about that fox.'
Ukip secured second place to Labour in about 40 seats at the 2015 General Election while an uptick in the party's support in more than two dozen seats could hand them to the Tories.
Mr Nuttall had made clear his intention to target Labour votes if he wins today.
Nigel Farage, pictured last week at a party held in his honour at the Ritz, is expected to return to pursuing his own interests, including enthusiastic support for Donald Trump
Mr Farage was thrust back into the leadership last month after his successor Diane James (pictured right moment after being named leader in September) quit the post after 18 days
He told the Sunday Telegraph: 'We have this fantastic opportunity, which we've never had before to this extent, to move into Labour working-class communities and mop up votes,' he said.
'I think in some of these communities we can replace the Labour Party in the next five years and become the patriotic party of the working people.'
He added: 'You've got a Labour Party whose leader refuses to sing the national anthem, whose shadow foreign secretary sneers at the (English) flag, whose shadow chancellor says nice things about the IRA.
'That isn't going to chime well with working-class people.'
The 39-year-old Member of the European Parliament, who served as UKIP's deputy leader for six years, won 62.6% of support among party members.
Nuttall, who turns 40 on Wednesday, is one of the North West of England's three Ukip MEPs and had been Deputy Leader of UKIP since November 2010 and leader of UKIP in the European Parliament since November 2015.
Born in Bootle near Liverpool, he studied British Edwardian politics at Liverpool Hope University before going to live and work in Barcelona. On his return to Merseyside he became a university history lecturer. He joined Ukip in 2004. In 2015, during an episode of BBC's Question Time, he revealed he is a survivor of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough stadium.
Paul Nuttall elected as UKIP leader
BBC News
28 November 2016
Paul Nuttall has been elected leader of the UK Independence Party, replacing Nigel Farage.
The 39-year-old Member of the European Parliament, who served as UKIP's deputy leader for six years, won 62.6% of support among party members.
Mr Nuttall defeated former deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans and ex-soldier John Rees-Evans.
It is UKIP's second leadership election this year, previous winner Diane James having quit after 18 days in the role.
Mr Farage acted as interim leader while the second leadership race took place.
"There will be one theme - unity - because only unity breeds success," Mr Nuttall told an audience of UKIP members after the result.
Mr Nuttall took 9,622 votes. Ms Evans came second with 2,973 votes (19.3%) and Mr Rees-Evans third with 2,775 votes (18.1%).
There were 32,757 ballot papers sent out, with 15,405 votes cast.
Mr Nuttall said his first act as leader was to appoint MEP Peter Whittle as his deputy.
Paul Nuttall elected as UKIP leader - BBC News
BREAKING NEWS: Paul Nuttall warns Ukip rebels 'only unity breeds success' after he is elected to replace Nigel Farage after months of party civil warBy Tim Sculthorpe, Mailonline Deputy Political Editor
28 November 2016
Merseyside-born Paul Nuttall will be seen by the party as being the ideal person to appeal to the working class voters in the north of England that the party is targetting
Paul Nuttall has been elected as Ukip's second leader in 10 weeks, beating Suzanne Evans by a landslide into second place.
Ukip will hope the new election will draw a line under months of bitter infighting sparked by feuding over Nigel Farage's legacy and approach to politics.
After his landslide victory with 62.2 per cent of the vote was confirmed, Mr Nuttall said: 'Only unity breeds success.'
He added: 'To those who do not want to unify and want to continue fighting the battles of the past, I'm afraid your time in Ukip is coming to an end.'
Mr Nuttall said it was 'day zero' for the party as he ordered 'all factions to come together'.
The new Ukip leader vowed to hold the Government's feet to the fire and 'ensure Brexit really does mean Brexit'.
And he channelled Donald Trump by insisting Ukip would ensure 'Britain gets the Brexit it voted for and then we will put the great back into Great Britain'.
Paul Nuttall was elected Ukip leader by a landslide today and was immediately congratulated on stage by Nigel Farage
A jubilant Mr Nuttall warned rebels inside the party they would have to unify or face being kicked out of the party
Mr Nuttall immediately turned his fire on the Labour Party, which faces Ukip in dozens of marginal seats, vowing to 'stand up for real working people' while Jeremy Corbyn's party wrings its hands about Palestine and climate change.
The announcement frees Mr Farage from his duties as 'interim leader' and means the Brexit champion can return to his plan to 'get my life back'.
As the leadership event began, Mr Farage joked he would make the winner 'sign in blood' the correct paperwork to take on the job full time.
Mr Farage was thrust back into the breach last month when Diane James quit the leadership after just 18 days without ever completing the paperwork required to officially take the post. She has since quit the party altogether.
Taking the leadership back on did not stop Mr Farage racing to America to pose with President-elect Donald Trump but he has made clear his desire to step back from the front line of running a party to pursue his own interests.
He claimed Brexit and the rise of Ukip 'directly led to the establishment getting beaten' on November 8 when Mr Trump won the White House.
And declaring Ukip would win four million votes if an election were held tomorrow, Mr Farage told his successor: 'There is no longer any need for pessimism in Ukip.'
Mr Farage said he would not be a 'back seat driver' but would offer help to the new leader if they asked, vowing to serve out his term as an MEP.
Outgoing Ukip leader Nigel Farage today quipped he would make the winner 'sign in blood' to ensure they do not resign within days - brandishing the official paperwork on stage in Westminster this morning
Paul Nuttall, pictured today arriving at the leadership announcement, is a former deputy leader and chairman of Ukip and is the hot favourite to take the top job
Ukip's new leader faces a stiff challenge to bring together warring factions divided over Mr Farage's legacy and his approach to politics.
The latest leadership contest was marred by an actual fight in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, leaving leading contender Steven Woolfe in hospital.
Angry clashes between the final three candidates and others who have dropped out - particularly Raheem Kassam, Mr Farage's former chief of staff - will raise fears the new leader will find it impossible to bring the party together.
Its major donor, Arron Banks, has cut off funding and spoken publicly of plans to launch his own political movement with hundreds of Westminster candidates.
If Ukip does unite, Labour's leadership will face a challenge on a new front.
Suzanne Evans, pictured arriving for the announcement today, has the support of many senior figure - including MEP Patrick O'Flynn, left - but is expected to finish second today
Outsider in the leadership contest, John Rees-Evans, arriving for the announcement in Westminster today. He is a former soldier most famous for making a gaffe about a 'homosexual donkey'
Douglas Carswell, Ukip's only MP, arrived for the announcement today promising to work with whoever is victorious after months of infighting
Senior Labour backbencher Dan Jarvis warned in The Times: 'There are very few Labour MPs, if any, who would say that they are in what's traditionally been referred to as safe seats. I'm not sure such a thing exists any more.
'It is clear to me that the Ukip fox is in the Labour henhouse and we have got to make a decision about what we want to do about that fox.'
Ukip secured second place to Labour in about 40 seats at the 2015 General Election while an uptick in the party's support in more than two dozen seats could hand them to the Tories.
Mr Nuttall had made clear his intention to target Labour votes if he wins today.
Nigel Farage, pictured last week at a party held in his honour at the Ritz, is expected to return to pursuing his own interests, including enthusiastic support for Donald Trump
Mr Farage was thrust back into the leadership last month after his successor Diane James (pictured right moment after being named leader in September) quit the post after 18 days
He told the Sunday Telegraph: 'We have this fantastic opportunity, which we've never had before to this extent, to move into Labour working-class communities and mop up votes,' he said.
'I think in some of these communities we can replace the Labour Party in the next five years and become the patriotic party of the working people.'
He added: 'You've got a Labour Party whose leader refuses to sing the national anthem, whose shadow foreign secretary sneers at the (English) flag, whose shadow chancellor says nice things about the IRA.
'That isn't going to chime well with working-class people.'
Last edited:
.