UK Independence Party leadership election, 2015

The UK Independence Party leadership election was scheduled to be held following the resignation of Nigel Farage as party leader on 8 May 2015, after he did not gain the seat of South Thanet in the 2015 general election. However, UKIP promptly denied his resignation, Farage remains leader of the party and thus no leadership election is required, he has said he intends to remain leader of the party until 2035 (by which time he will be over 70). However, a row then arose within the party, with some calling for a leadership election. Farage is still currently leader of the party and has been from 2006 to 2009 and 2010 to present.

Background

In the run-up to the 2015 general election, Farage said that he would resign as party leader if he did not win the seat of South Thanet. After the election, on 8 May, Farage resigned at 11:22am saying that he is "going to take the summer off, enjoy myself a bit, not do much politics at all and there will be a leadership election for Ukip in September." He raised the possibility that he might stand in that election. However, he was reinstated three days later when the party's NEC unanimously rejected his resignation.

A row within the party then began over the refusal by Douglas Carswell, the party's only MP, to take the full Short money allocated to UKIP. There were subsequent briefings critical of Carswell and then, in turn, of Farage. Patrick O'Flynn MEP, in particular, was critical of Farage and two of his advisers in an interview in The Times in which he described Farage as a "snarling, thin-skinned, aggressive man", although he later said he wanted Farage to stay leader. The Two aides, Matthew Richardson and Farage's chief of staff, Raheem Kassam, later quit.

UKIP donor Stuart Wheeler said he would like Farage "to step down at least for the moment", while other sources called for a leadership contest, but Suzanne Evans, a possible successor, gave Farage her support.

On 14 May, Farage ruled out resigning, saying it was the wrong time for the party to have a leadership election and that he had great support within the party.

Some within the party called for him to take a 'short break', including Douglas Carswell and Suzanne Evans, the latter adding that "two weeks’ holiday would be enough".

O'Flynn subsequently resigned from his economics role in the party, while Evans' contract for her policy role came to an end.

Candidates

No candidates declared their intention to stand during the time Farage resigned and was reinstated as leader 3 days later, although media speculation identified several possible candidates.

See also

• Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 2015
• Liberal Democrats leadership election, 2015