2019 UK Independence Party leadership election

United Kingdom independence party (UKIP) leadership election

2019 UK Independence Party leadership election | <- 2018 | 10 August 2019 | 2021 ->

|
|

Turnout| 19.1%
|  |  |

|
|

Candidate  | Richard Braine | Freddy Vachha
Percentage  | 53% | 20%
Popular vote  | 2,935 | 1,134

* * *

|  |
Candidate  | Ben Walker  | Mike Hookem
Percentage  | 14%  | 13%
Popular vote  | 753  | 717

* * *

| Leader before election

Gerard Batten

| Leader after election

Richard Braine

|

The 2019 UK Independence Party leadership election took place following the departure on 2 June of Gerard Batten from the leadership of the UK Independence Party. The result was announced on 10 August 2019,[1] with Richard Braine being elected to lead the party. This was the party's fifth leadership election in three years. Braine resigned just two months later, triggering a sixth leadership election.

## Background

[edit]

On 6 May 2019, and following media reports that Batten was to step down as leader on 2 June, he said that his election in April 2018 was for a twelve-month period, and that the party's National Executive Committee had asked him to remain in office until after the European elections in May 2019.[2]

Former leader Nigel Farage was one of a number of senior party figures to leave during Batten's leadership over Batten's association with far-right activist Tommy Robinson.[3] In April 2019, Farage launched the rival Brexit Party.[4] UKIP won 24 MEPs in the 2014 European Parliament election, but 21 had left the party by the May 2019 European elections, with most defecting to The Brexit Party. It lost all three remaining MEPs, falling to 3.3% of the vote.[5]

## Candidates

[edit]

Freddy Vachha, UKIP London Regional chairman and present General Secretary, announced his intention to run on 6 May.[6]

Mike Hookem, the party's former Member of the European Parliament for Yorkshire and the Humber, resigned as deputy leader and announced that he would run for the leadership on 24 May, criticising Batten for associating the party with the far-right.[7]

Gareth Bennett, a member for the National Assembly for Wales for UKIP, announced his candidacy on 3 June.[8] His policy platform included national identity cards and a possible referendum on bringing back the death penalty.[8][9] On 11 July, he announced his withdrawal from the race and his support for Ben Walker's bid for the leadership.[10]

Walker, a former Parliamentary candidate, member of the UKIP NEC and branch chairman, announced his candidacy on 6 June.[11]

Richard Braine, chairman of UKIP West London, and formerly a UKIP Parliamentary candidate for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (2017), and EU Parliamentary candidate for the London Region (2019),[citation needed] also stood.

Helena Windsor, the chairman of the UKIP Surrey Branch and county councillor for Godstone from 2013 to 2017,[12] was a candidate,[13] but withdrew on 17 July, and publicly backed Mike Hookem.[14][15]

Applications for the party leadership closed on 27 June. Despite having previously said his position as leader "would be untenable" if he lost his seat in the European Parliament,[16][17] Gerard Batten announced that he would stand in the leadership election, claiming he had "overwhelming support from UKIP members".[18] The party's National Executive Committee blocked him from standing, leaving five candidates up for election.[19] Batten supported Braine instead.

Candidate  | Past and present political roles  | Endorsements

|
|

Mike Hookem |

* Member of the European Parliament for Yorkshire and the Humber (2014–2019)
* Deputy Leader of the UK Independence Party (2018–2019)

| Helena Windsor
Freddy Vachha |

* UKIP London Regional Chairman (2016–present)

| Stuart Agnew[citation needed]
Ben Walker |

* Mayor of Bradley Stoke, Gloucestershire (until 2012)[20]
* Former Vice Chair of South Gloucestershire District Council[21]
* UKIP Filton and Bradley Stoke branch chairman[22]
* Member of the UKIP National Executive Committee (2017–present)[23]

| Gareth Bennett

Neil Hamilton[citation needed]

Richard Braine |

* UKIP West London chairman (2016–present)

| Gerard Batten[24]

## Result

[edit]

Candidate  | Votes  | %

|
|

| Y Richard Braine | 2,935 |

| 52.9
| Freddy Vachha  | 1,134 |

| 20.5
| Ben Walker  | 753 |

| 13.6
| Mike Hookem | 717 |

| 13.0
| Spoilt ballots | 194  |

| 3.5
Total  | 5,539  | Turnout  | 19.1%

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Ex-Ukip leader Gerard Batten to stand again just weeks after quitting". Evening Standard. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
2. ^ Dalton, Jane (6 May 2019). "Ukip to hold leadership contest after European Parliament elections". The Independent. ESI Media. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
3. ^ Duffy, Nick (19 May 2019). "Ukip leader Gerard Batten says his position is 'untenable' if he loses MEP seat". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
4. ^ "Nigel Farage: No more Mr Nice Guy". BBC News. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
5. ^ Quinn, Ben (27 May 2019). "Ukip's defeat in EU elections cast doubts on party's future". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
6. ^ "BREAKING: Batten To Stand Down On June 2nd | Kipper Central". Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
7. ^ "Hookem quits as deputy UKIP leader". 24 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
8. ^ a b "UKIP Welsh Assembly member Gareth Bennett in leadership bid". 3 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
9. ^ Mosalski, Ruth (4 June 2019). "Gareth Bennett wants to be leader of Ukip and bring back the death penalty". walesonline. Retrieved 8 June 2019.
10. ^ "Gareth Bennett abandons UKIP leadership bid". 11 July 2019 - via www.bbc.co.uk.
11. ^ Walker, Ben (6 June 2019). "I am announcing my intention to stand for UKIP leader. My Grassroots manifesto was written by branch officers, for the members. Now is the time for a grassroots revolution". Twitter. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
12. ^ Chapple, James (5 May 2017). "'Standing up for Surrey' pledge as council leader retains seat". getsurrey. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
13. ^ "helena4leader". votepurple.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
14. ^ "UKIP LEADERSHIP: Agnew Endorses Vachha As Windsor Withdraws To Back Hookem | Kipper Central". Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
15. ^ Windsor 💜, Helena (1 August 2019). "Time to vote No I'm not showing my number 2, you'll have to guess pic.twitter.com/onDOqN88kj". @helena4leader. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
16. ^ "UKIP leader Gerard Batten: My position 'untenable' if I lose seat". Sky News. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
17. ^ Duffy, Nick (19 May 2019). "Ukip leader Gerard Batten says his position is 'untenable' if he loses MEP seat". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
18. ^ Batten, Gerard (27 June 2019). "Because of overwhelming support from UKIP members I have decided to stand in the Leadership contest. My platform will include: * National Democracy * Economic Democracy * Political Democracy * Freedom of Speech * No backtracking or surrender to political correctness". @GerardBattenMEP. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
19. ^ "Gerard Batten banned from standing again for UKIP leader". Evening Standard. 9 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
20. ^ "Town Council Confirms Youngest Mayor". bradleystoke.gov.uk. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
21. ^ "Bradley Stoke Mayor hit by smear campaign". Bradley Stoke Journal. 14 May 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
22. ^ "UKIP Bristol & South Gloucestershire". UKIP in the South West. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
23. ^ "NEC Results Announced". ukip.org. Archived from the original on 16 January 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
24. ^ "Richard Braine elected as UKIP leader". 10 August 2019 - via www.bbc.co.uk.

* v
* t
* e

2019 United Kingdom party leadership elections

* Conservative
* Liberal Democrat
* UKIP

* v
* t
* e

UK Independence Party

Leadership

| Leaders|

* Alan Sked
* Craig Mackinlay (acting)
* Michael Holmes
* Jeffrey Titford
* Roger Knapman
* Nigel Farage
* Lord Pearson
* Jeffrey Titford (acting)
* Nigel Farage
* Diane James
* Nigel Farage (acting)
* Paul Nuttall
* Steve Crowther (acting)
* Henry Bolton
* Gerard Batten
* Richard Braine
* Patricia Mountain (acting)
* Freddy Vachha
* Neil Hamilton
* Nick Tenconi

|

Deputy Leaders|

* Craig Mackinlay
* Graham Booth
* Mike Nattrass
* David Campbell Bannerman
* Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley
* Paul Nuttall
* Peter Whittle
* Margot Parker
* Mike Hookem
* Patricia Mountain
* Rebecca Jane
* Nick Tenconi

Chairs|

* Nigel Farage
* Mike Nattrass
* David Lott
* Petrina Holdsworth
* David Campbell Bannerman
* John Whittaker
* Paul Nuttall
* Steve Crowther
* Paul Oakden
* Tony McIntyre
* Kirstan Herriot
* Ben Walker

Deputy Chairs|

* Neil Hamilton
* Diane James
* Suzanne Evans
* William Legge
* Margot Parker
* Pete Muswell (interim)

Treasurers|

* Craig Mackinlay
* Marta Andreasen
* Stuart Wheeler
* Andrew Reid
* Mark Harland

Organisation

| Internal elections|

* 2006 leadership (Farage)
* 2009 leadership (Pearson)
* 2010 leadership (Farage)
* July–September 2016 leadership (James)
* October–November 2016 leadership (Nuttall)
* 2017 leadership (Bolton)
* 2018 leadership (Batten)
* 2019 leadership (Braine)
* 2020 leadership (Vachha)
* 2021 leadership (Hamilton)
* 2024 leadership election

|

International affiliations|

* Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy

History|

* National Electoral Performance
* Anti-Federalist League

Breakaway groups|

* Veritas
* New Deal
* One London
* Brexit Alliance
* We Demand a Referendum Now
* Independence from Europe
* Thurrock Independents
* For Britain Movement
* Brexit Party/Reform UK

Political representation

| Former MEPs|

* Stuart Agnew (voted out)
* Tim Aker (defected)
* Marta Andreasen (defected)
* Jonathan Arnott (defected)
* Janice Atkinson (expelled)
* Amjad Bashir (defected)
* Gerard Batten (voted out)
* Godfrey Bloom (expelled)
* Graham Booth
* Louise Bours (defected)
* John Bufton
* Jonathan Bullock (defected)
* David Campbell Bannerman (defected)
* James Carver (defected)
* Derek Clark
* David Coburn (defected)
* Trevor Colman
* William Dartmouth (defected)
* Bill Etheridge (defected)
* Nigel Farage (defected)
* Ray Finch (defected)
* Nathan Gill (defected)
* Roger Helmer
* Michael Holmes (defected)
* Mike Hookem (voted out)
* Diane James (defected)
* Robert Kilroy-Silk (defected)
* Roger Knapman
* Ashley Mote (expelled)
* Mike Nattrass (defected)
* Paul Nuttall (defected)
* Patrick O'Flynn (defected)
* Julia Reid (defected)
* Nikki Sinclaire (expelled)
* Jeffrey Titford
* John Whittaker
* Tom Wise (expelled)
* Steven Woolfe (defected)
* Jane Collins (defected)
* Margot Parker (defected)
* Jill Seymour (defected)

|

Former MPs|

* Douglas Carswell (defected)
* Mark Reckless (voted out)
* Bob Spink (voted out)

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