Paul Nuttall has won the race to replace Nigel Farage as Ukip leader. Nuttall’s victory was decisive: he picked up 62.6 per cent of the vote, compared to Suzanne Evans on 19.3 per cent and John Rees-Evans on 18.1 per cent. For Nuttall, the hard work starts now. His win today puts an end to the party’s second leadership contest in five months, following Diane James’s short-lived 18-day reign. He inherits a party in a troubled state – and he admitted as much in his leadership speech. ‘Today is the day we put the Ukip jigsaw back together,’ he said. And while Nuttall was keen to continue the unity message he parroted during his campaign, he also fired a warning at those within Ukip who want to carry on fighting. ‘For those who don’t want to come together, I’m afraid your time in Ukip is coming to an end,’ Nuttall said.
The prize for Ukip – if Nuttall does succeed in steadying the ship – is a big one.
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