Nigel Farage has ruled himself out of the UKIP leadership contest

Nigel Farage has told Sky News he is technically still UKIP leader after Diane James quit the job after just 18 days in charge.

The MEP ruled out re-applying on a permanent basis for what he called a "rotten job" - and later, Steven Woolfe, the party's migration officer, announced he would be standing.

Mr Farage said: "Diane James did not become officially, legally the leader of UKIP, so my name is still there, so I will continue as the acting leader of UKIP whilst we re-do the election process.

"I've done my bit. It's a pretty rotten job being leader of any political party and I think being leader of UKIP is probably more rotten than all the others."

Image: Diane James had promised to help get UKIP 'race ready' for the election

He said he was sorry Ms James decided to stand down, adding she "had all the right qualities" to do the job.

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"I've watched her come into the party, grow through the party, I thought she was one of our better performers on television and radio platforms," he said.

Earlier, he told reporters: "No, I'm not coming back, I'm retired. Not for 10 million dollars."

Ms James became the party's first female leader on 16 September after a landslide victory in the leadership contest.

In a statement, she said it was with "great regret" and the decision was down to "personal and professional reasons".

September: Diane James elected UKIP leader

The personal reasons are understood to be related to her husband being unwell, said Sky's Chief Political Correspondent Jon Craig.

Ms James said she would not be "formalising my recent nomination to become leader of the party with the Electoral Commission".

She added: "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."

:: The full story behind the rise of Diane James

Ms James, MEP for South East England, was catapulted to front runner in the UKIP race after deputy leader Paul Nuttall refused to join the contest and Mr Woolfe, second favourite at the time, was disqualified after he submitted his nomination papers late.

Mr Woolfe is the first contender to announce he will be standing for the next contest.

It comes despite an admission that he considered defecting to the Conservatives after Theresa May became Prime Minister.

In a statement, Mr Woolfe said he had been "enthused" by Mrs May, but in the end felt that Brexit could only be reliably delivered by UKIP.

He said he truly believed they could replace Labour as the main opposition.

"We can build on our remarkable achievements, stand up for the ignored working class and secure a radically different political landscape in Britain for a generation," he said. "Under my leadership, that is what we will do."</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>Ukip leader Diane James has resigned after just over two weeks in charge of the party, it has been reported.

Ms James only took over 18 days ago after a leadership contest following Nigel Farage’s departure as leader.

Niether Ms James nor Mr Farage, who some had speculated could one day return as leader again, were answering calls this evening.

Ukip’s only MP Douglas Carswell tweeted: “In the middle of supper. Not taking calls about UKIP stuff. It’s shepherds pie, by the way.”

Ms James has been leader since 16 September after winning 46.2 per cent of the vote in a party election.</s>UKIP'S new leader Diane James has quit after just 18 days in charge of the party.

James, who succeeded former leader Nigel Farage at the party's conference last month, has thrown in the towel just over a fortnight after being elected.

It is not yet clear what prompted her sudden decision although sources say it may be to do with her husband's ill health although continued party infighting may have forced her hand.
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James was elected following a bitter row between departing leader Farage, prominent Leave backing millionaire Arron Banks, and the party's ruling body.

Steven Woolfe – the favourite of Farage and Banks – was barred from standing after apparently missing the deadline to enter the contest.
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James eventually beat Lisa Duffy by 46 per cent to 25 per cent to win the leadership ballot.

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".

Senior members of the party have also been openly at war with their only MP, former Conservative Douglas Carswell.
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After a career in the healthcare sector, 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 prominence in 2013 when she fought the parliamentary by-election 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.

James, 56, was elected to the European Parliament as an MEP for South East England in 2014.

She had a relatively low profile during the Brexit referendum, in contrast to predecessor Farage, who said he was stepping down after the vote 'to get his life back'.</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>She gave her resignation in a statement to the Times newspaper, saying she did not have "sufficient authority" nor the full support of colleagues and party officers.

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

James took over the leadership of the party from Farage, who quit following the UK referendum to leave the European Union.

Farage, who like James is also an elected member of the European Parliament, was a founding member of UKIP and largely seen as the man who drove the campaign for the UK to leave the EU, known as Brexit. Thank you to all @UKIP supporters who attended my #MeetDiane meetings across the country over the summer. pic.twitter.com/EQf9rUXgKA — Diane James (@DianeJamesMEP) October 4, 2016 "Diane James's resignation has plunged UKIP into yet another round of infighting and chaos," said Matthew Goodwin, Politics Professor at the University of Kent and author of the book "Revolt on the Right" about the party. "The party is externally squeezed by a Brexit-focused Conservative Party and internally it is suffering from a total lack of leadership, a lack of money and a chronic shortage of new blood." This town voted to leave the EU, what do they think now? This town voted to leave the EU, what do they think now?</s>Diane James has resigned as Ukip leader after just 18 days in the job, sources have said.

Two Ukip sources said James had resigned or was on the verge of doing so, with one saying she had filled in an official form handing over her control of the party with the words “under duress” in Latin.

James’s resignation could not immediately be verified with the Ukip press office.

A source close to a senior Ukip figure told the Guardian she had family reasons for wanting to leave and had been expected to quit at some point this week.

They added that there were discussions in Ukip about holding a snap two-week election to install a new leader quickly, with former deputy Paul Nuttall and disqualified former candidate Steven Woolfe two possible candidates.



Raheem Kassam, the former chief of staff to Farage who left after the election, has confirmed he will run for the leadership.

However, Nigel Farage told the Press Association he would not return as Ukip leader “for $10 million”. Asked if he’d take $20m, he replied: “No I’m not coming back, I’m retired”.

Suzanne Evans, the former deputy chair who clashed with Farage, could also try again after she missed out because she was suspended at the time of the last contest.

Another former candidate, Bill Etheridge, said he would not rule out standing again.

James was only elected at Ukip conference last month, after Nigel Farage stood down saying he had “done his bit” for Brexit.

An MEP for South East England since 2014, 56-year-old James was the Eurosceptic party’s first female leader and won the post by a wide margin after winning the backing of senior Ukip figures including 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.</s>Diane James has quit as Ukip leader after just 18 days in charge.

In a statement, the 56-year-old said that it had become clear in discussions with party officials that she did not have “sufficient authority” to push through changes which she had planned.</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.</s>UKIP leader Diane James has resigned the role after just 18 days, it has been reported.

One report suggested that she had been “deeply unhappy for personal reasons about her new role” while another suggested that she had quit because of her husband’s ill health.

Her departure, if confirmed, will raise speculation that her predecessor Nigel Farage could make a comeback. Mr Farage previously resigned before staying on and leading Ukip through the EU referendum campaign.

He then resigned as leader again.

There was no immediate response from the party to reports of Ms James’s resignation.

An MEP for South East England since 2014, 56-year-old Ms James was the Eurosceptic party’s first female 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.

Reports of Ms James’s abrupt departure sparked immediate speculation that Mr Farage might return to lead Ukip for a third time, after stints from 2006-09 and 2010-16.

But asked if he would consider returning as leader, Mr Farage told the Press Association: “Not for ten million dollars.”

Asked if he would take 20 million dollars, he said: “No I’m not coming back, I’m retired.”
Diane James resigns as the leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party after just 18 days in charge.