Henry Bolton has been elected as the new leader of Ukip in a shock result. The little-known candidate beat the two front runners in the contest — anti-Islam campaigner Anne Marie Waters and London Assembly member Peter Whittle — to win with 3,874 votes.
He told the party members: "Brexit is our core task, however, it is not the end of the line."
The former Army officer warned earlier this month that Ukip was in danger of becoming the "UK Nazi Party" if it picked the wrong leader to succeed Paul Nuttall, in comments which appeared to be aimed at Waters. In his victory speech at Ukip conference in Torquay, he called on members to rally around the party.
"Without being united, we cannot lead," he said.
The party has struggled to find its feet since Nigel Farage quit, and its vote share fell to 1.8% at the general election from 12.6% in 2015.
Some 12,915 votes were cast in the leadership election, a 46% turnout.
Whittle, who had been touted as a likely winner, came a surprise fifth with 1,413 - an 11% share of the vote - while Ms Waters came second with 2,755 votes, a 21% vote share.
Up to 18 of the 20 Ukip MEPs had been reportedly preparing to quit the party if Waters had won the leadership battle.
Bolton called on the party to unite behind him to allow him to deliver its aims. "I do not see myself now as simply being your leader, I see myself as serving this party," he said. "You are the party, not me, and this party needs to serve its country.
"There is no greater calling than that and I would call on all of you, whether you voted for me or not, to rally around the party, to be united."
Farage said he was "delighted" Bolton had won the leadership battle.
"He is a man of real substance," the former leader added.
WHO IS HENRY BOLTON?
New Ukip leader Henry Bolton emerged from obscurity to beat the two frontrunners in the contest to replace Paul Nuttall.
Last year the 54-year-old former soldier's wife gave birth to their daughter Victoria on a train that had just pulled into St Pancras Station - his third daughter.
The ex-Thames Valley police officer, who won with 30% of the vote, is no stranger to running for elected posts.
He stood for the Liberal Democrats in Runnymede and Weybridge in the 2005 general election, finishing third behind current Chancellor Philip Hammond.
More recently, the Sandhurst alumnus stood for Ukip as Police and Crime Commissioner in Kent in 2016, finishing second.
Bolton describes himself as "an expert in borders, security and foreign policy" and has worked as a diplomat for the United Nations, Foreign Office and the EU, according to his website.
It adds that Bolton was deployed to countries like Croatia, Kosovo, Libya and Ukraine on diplomatic missions for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
He was awarded an OBE by the Princess Royal for services to international security in 2013.
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