Who is Paul Nuttall? A profile of the ex-UKIP leader

In 2004, Mr Nuttall joined UKIP, then a minor party in terms of its share of the vote in Westminster elections.

He became an MEP – the youngest of the party’s representatives in Brussels and Strasbourg – for North West England in 2009 and, a firm ally of Mr Farage, he served as his deputy from 2010 until this September.

When Mr Farage quit the leadership following last year’s Brexit referendum, Mr Nuttall – immediately considered one of the favourites to succeed him – decided not to run, saying he too wanted his “life back”.

“I have been at the forefront of the campaign to leave the European Union for a decade now,” he said, “and I believe I can step aside with my objective achieved and my head held high.”

But Mr Farage’s replacement as leader, Diane James, quit after just 18 days in the job and the vacancy reopening led Mr Nuttall to put himself forward. As several candidates pulled out he came, with the backing of much of UKIP’s establishment, to be seen as the favourite.

Mr Nuttall won with 62% of the vote and was immediately pitched into a media storm when two of his MEPs got into a fight, which left one of them, Steven Woolfe, in hospital. Mr Woolfe, a one time leadership contender, has since left the party.

Mr Nuttall described the “altercation” as “probably in the long-run the best thing that happened to the party”.

“Everyone woke up and smelt the coffee and understood that this was now an existential crisis and it was my duty to step in, stand in this election, win it and bring the party together, and that’s what I intend to do.”