Britain’s anti-European Union UK Independence Party elected deputy chairwoman Diane James its new leader on Friday to replace Brexit talisman Nigel Farage who stepped down after helping to win the referendum on EU membership in June.

James, currently a member of the European parliament, was announced as the party’s new head at its annual conference in the southern English coastal town of Bournemouth after a ballot of UKIP’s 40,000 members.

A former business analyst with a long career the healthcare sector, James has pledged to ensure the government delivers an exit from the EU that meets the demands of UKIP voters: namely tighter immigration controls and more free trade. </s> UKIP leader Diane James has resigned after eighteen days in charge of the party it has been reported.

Ms James was elected party leader following the resignation of Nigel Farage in the wake of the Brexit vote.

She has been leader since 16 September after winning 46.2 per cent of the vote in a party election. </s> UK's anti-EU party elects new leader as Brexit talisman Farage steps aside

BOURNEMOUTH, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Britain's anti-European Union UK Independence Party elected deputy chairwoman Diane James its new leader on Friday to replace Brexit talisman Nigel Farage who stepped down after helping to win the referendum on EU membership in June.

James, currently a member of the European parliament, was announced as the party's new head at its annual conference in the southern English coastal town of Bournemouth after a ballot of UKIP's 40,000 members.

A former business analyst with a long career the healthcare sector, James has pledged to ensure the government delivers an exit from the EU that meets the demands of UKIP voters: namely tighter immigration controls and more free trade. (Reporting by William James; editing by Michael Holden) </s> The UK Independence Party has been thrown into disarray after the shock resignation of leader Diane James after just 18 days in charge.

Ms James cited "personal and professional" reasons for her decision, saying that she had not been given sufficient authority to force through changes she wanted to make to the party.

It is also thought that her husband's ill-health and a recent incident in which she was "badly shaken up" after being verbally abused and spat at in a central London street may have played a role in persuading her to step down.

Confusion surrounded her position after she suggested in a statement that she had never formally taken up the role of leader after winning a landslide victory in the race to succeed Nigel Farage on September 16.

Party sources questioned her claim that the election amounted only to a "nomination" as leader which needed to be registered with the Electoral Commission to be formally confirmed.

Ukip's ruling National Executive Committee is expected to hold an emergency meeting within days to choose an interim leader and agree a timetable for the second leadership election within weeks.

Bookmakers installed North-West England MEP Steven Woolfe - who was barred from standing to replace Mr Farage after handing nomination papers in 17 minutes late - as hot favourite, followed by Suzanne Evans, who missed out on the chance to run because of a suspension which has now been lifted.

In her brief time as leader, Ms James had not appointed a deputy, so there is no one in place to act as a stand-in while a new election is arranged. Party officials were unable immediately to say who was leading the party.

Mr Farage poured cold water on speculation he might return to lead the party for a third time, after stints from 2006-09 and 2010-16, telling the Press Association: "Not for 10 million dollars."

And asked if he would take 20 million dollars, he said: "No, I'm not coming back, I'm retired."

Ukip chairman Paul Oakden said on Tuesday: "It is with regret that I have tonight received confirmation that Diane James has chosen to resign as party leader, citing personal and other reasons. I will now look to convene an emergency meeting of our NEC to confirm the process for electing Diane's replacement.

"Whilst the decision is unfortunate, it is one that Diane is entitled to make. We thank her for all her work as leader, and as a hard working MEP, a role she will continue with her customary vigour."

It is understood that Mr Oakden was not informed in advance of Ms James's intention to quit, and received formal confirmation only when she released a statement on Twitter.

Mr Oakden said Mr Farage could still be listed as the registered leader of the party if the Electoral Commission has not received Ms James's paperwork following her election win.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today show: "If they still have Nigel Farage down as the leader it's going to make it a very interesting day for me, I suspect."

He added: "He has the party at his core and he will do as he has always done - whatever is in the best interests of Ukip - and he will be ready to serve it, I have no doubt, in whatever way he can, in what, let's face it, are going to be a challenging couple of months."

He said it is "very unlikely" Mr Farage would return to lead the party again, but added: "I wouldn't say anything is impossible right now."

Mr Oakden said he had not spoken to Ms James about her decision, but insisted it was "unfair to characterise this as an issue between Diane and the NEC".

"Frankly, I'm not certain as to which party officers she's referring to - I can only speak for my part and the part of the NEC which is they were as constructive as they could be under the circumstances of a new leader being elected," he said.

In a statement announcing her decision, Ms James said: "It is with great regret that I announce that I will not be formalising my recent nomination to become the new leader of the party with the Electoral Commission.

"Having won the enthusiastic support of party members, I was nominated by them as the new leader at the recent Ukip Bournemouth conference.

"Since that time, I have been in discussion with party officers about the role. It has become clear that I do not have sufficient authority, nor the full support of all my MEP colleagues and party officers to implement changes I believe necessary and upon which I based my campaign.

"For personal and professional reasons, therefore, I will not take the electoral process further."

Ukip insiders questioned suggestions that Ms James had failed to receive support from officials.

The 56-year-old former Conservative councillor, who defected to Ukip in 2011, said she would stay on as an MEP for South-East England.

Elected to the European Parliament in 2014 after achieving national prominence as second-placed candidate in the 2014 Eastleigh by-election, Ms James was the party's first woman leader and won the post by a wide margin after winning the backing of senior Ukip figures including Mr Farage.

But questions were raised about her commitment to the post after she declined to take part in hustings debates around the country with rival candidates.

In September's election, Ms James took 8,451 out of the 17,970 votes cast, romping home ahead of Lisa Duffy - backed by many in the anti-Farage wing of the party - Bill Etheridge, Phillip Broughton and Elizabeth Jones.

In her acceptance speech, she promised to bring a new professionalism to the party, saying: "We are going to confound our critics, we are going to outwit our opponents, we are going to build on our election success that we have achieved to date and do more."

Ukip's only MP, Douglas Carswell, declined to comment on Ms James's resignation, saying in a tweet: "In the middle of supper. Not taking calls about UKIP stuff. It's shepherds pie, by the way." </s> Ukip Diane James has quit as leader of Ukip after just 18 days in charge, a senior party source has said.

The MEP became the first woman to lead the Eurosceptic party when she won the contest to replace Nigel Farage on September 16th.

Reports suggested that she had decided to step down because of her husband’s ill health. There was no immediate response from the party to reports of Ms James’s resignation.

Ms James, the front-runner throughout the leadership campaign, was backed by supporters of Mr Farage and Ukip’s millionaire funder Arron Banks. During the contest she promised to have a ”laser focus” on the Brexit negotiations, but refused to set out any policies, insisting she did not want to make “policy on the hoof”. After a career in the healthcare sector, Ms James first won election to Waverley Borough Council in Surrey as an independent in 2007 after becoming “disillusioned” with the Conservatives.

She switched to Ukip in 2011 and shot to national prominence in 2013 when she fought the parliamentary byelection in Eastleigh, Hampshire, resulting from the downfall of Cabinet minister Chris Huhne, who was jailed for lying about a speeding offence. She came close to taking the seat from the Liberal Democrats, coming second with 27.8 per cent – fewer than 2,000 votes behind the winning candidate.

Ms James (56) was elected to the European Parliament as an MEP for South East England in 2014, as part of the political “earthquake” achieved as Ukip became the first non-mainstream party in modern times to win a national election in the UK. She was appointed Ukip’s deputy chairwoman and home affairs spokeswoman, but stood aside from a planned bid to become an MP in the general election in 2015 for “personal reasons”, after being selected as candidate for North West Hampshire.

Educated at Rochester Girls Grammar School and Thames Valley University, she is a keen dancer who also lists antiques among her interests and speaks French and German.

Her elevation to the leadership meant that Ukip joined the Conservatives, Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru in having a woman at the helm, while the Greens have a woman as job-sharing co-leader.
Members of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) elect Diane James as their new leader.