UKIP prepares to announce new leader after months of upheaval
Ex-deputy leader Paul Nuttall is the favourite, but is up against ex-deputy chairman Suzanne Evans and ex-soldier John Rees-Evans.
Monday 28 November 2016 07:19, UK
UKIP will attempt to draw a line under the future of the party today when its new leader is announced.
Former deputy leader Paul Nuttall is the favourite for the role, with ex-deputy chairman Suzanne Evans and former soldier John Rees-Evans also standing.
The contest was triggered when Diane James quit as leader last month - only 18 days after being elected to replace Nigel Farage.
She said her relationship with UKIP had become "increasingly difficult" and subsequently quit the party.
Mr Farage returned as interim leader months after announcing his own resignation, where he claimed he wanted to "get my life back".
Steven Woolfe, an early frontrunner, also quit the race and later the party following a fracas with a fellow MEP.
Here is a look at the contenders:
:: Suzanne Evans
A former journalist, the 51-year-old was Mr Farage's choice as interim leader when he quit in 2015. But they have become bitter enemies after she labelled him a "divisive" figure.
Ms Evans was suspended by UKIP in March for bringing the party into disrepute and acting against its interests.
That meant the former deputy party chairman - who wrote the UKIP manifesto in 2015 - did not put herself forward to run in the previous leadership contest.
:: Paul Nuttall
The party's former deputy leader is head of the UKIP delegation in the European Parliament.
The 39-year-old is a former history lecturer and once played football for Tranmere Rovers as a youth.
He chose not to stand to succeed Mr Farage earlier this year, but is regarded as the most likely candidate to be able to capitalise on high levels of support for Brexit in the North.
:: John Rees-Evans
The former soldier grew up in Africa and is a keen hill-runner who also enjoys "competitive dynamic pistol shooting".
He has raised eyebrows after claiming he once took a handgun to IKEA in Bulgaria, where he has a home, and for remarks in 2014 where he accused a "homosexual donkey" of trying to rape his horse.
He later apologised for the remark, describing it as "playful banter with a mischievous activist".
Douglas Carswell, the party's only MP, is an ally of Ms Evans.
The Clacton MP wrote on Twitter that the winner of the race would mean "UKIP finally gets a new leader - and the chance to press the reset button".