Paul Nuttall has been elected by UK Independence Party (Ukip) members to replace Nigel Farage as leader, ending a turbulent period for the party after the referendum to leave the European Union. “We were the inspiration behind much of that.”

Nuttall decisively beat two other contenders in a contest to head the right-wing anti-EU party, winning 62.6 per cent of the votes cast. His presumed nearest challenger, Suzanne Evans, won just 19.3 per cent of the votes, only 200 more than the rank outsider, John Rees-Evans, who won 18.1 per cent. The MEP for north-west England takes over from Mr Farage, who had returned briefly as interim leader in October when his chosen replacement, Diane James, stepped down after just 18 days in the job , citing a lack of internal party support. And he made clear his sights are on poaching votes from Labour, arguing that the party under Jeremy Corbyn was more interested in “dinner party” topics like climate change and fair trade than the interests of their working class voters, such as immigration and social mobility. I want to replace the Labour party and make Ukip the patriotic voice of working people.”

He dismissed suggestions that his party had fulfilled its mission in securing a Leave vote in June’s EU referendum, saying a strong Ukip was needed to stop Theresa May imposing “some mealy-mouthed, backsliding version” of Brexit. Following calls from US president-elect Donald Trump for the outgoing Ukip leader to become UK ambassador, he said he was “going off to the USA - but, you will understand, purely as a tourist”. In his acceptance speech, Mr Nuttall, a former history lecturer who played football for Tranmere Rovers as a boy, said: "The country needs a strong UKIP more than ever before. Mr Nuttall and Ms Evans entered the contest, along with Mr Farage’s former chief of staff, Raheem Kassam, who later withdrew saying the path to victory was too narrow, and Peter Whittle, a Ukip London assembly member, who also withdrew and gave his backing to Mr Nuttall.
Paul Nuttall wins an overall majority in a vote to become the UK Independence Party's (UKIP) leader, succeeding Nigel Farage.