Shropshire's Suzanne Evans fails in bid to be Ukip leader as Paul Nuttall wins vote

Ms Evans, who is from Shrewsbury and stood for the town's seat in the last General Election, was competing with Mr Nuttall and former soldier John Rees-Evans.

The election was the second in the space of a few months, following previous victor Diane James's decision to step down after just 18 days in the job.

Mr Nuttall took 62.6% of the vote, beating former deputy chairwoman Ms Evans and ex-soldier John Rees-Evans.

Of the 32,757 ballot papers sent out, 15,405 were returned with the lion's share going to Mr Nuttall, while Ms Evans secured 19.3% of the vote, and 18.1% went to Mr Rees-Evans.

Shortly after the result was announced Ms Evans tweeted:

Later she said: "I would like to give my wholehearted congratulations to Paul. It has been a pleasure to work with him throughout the leadership campaign and he is going to be a very able and popular leader.

"I am thankful to the people who voted for me and I am very optimistic for the party's future.

"I gather Paul has been talking about a role for me which he may announce in the coming days so that is good news."

Speaking after the result was announced, new leader Mr Nuttall said unity was the theme his new-look party would adopt.

And Ms Evans said she endorsed his sentiments.

"It is totally the time for the party to come together and move forward," she said. "I totally endorse that."

North West England MEP Mr Nuttall was the bookies' favourite to win the contest and he has called for Mr Farage to be given a seat in the Lords. He said it was "unfair and obscene" that the Government had not created a single Ukip peer.

Born on Merseyside, he is regarded as well-placed to poach northern working-class voters from Labour in a bid to improve Ukip's presence at Westminster.

Mr Nuttall promised to unite Ukip and "hold the Government's feet to the fire" over the delivery of Brexit.

"The country needs a strong Ukip more now than ever before, for if Ukip ceases to be an electoral force, there will be no impetus on Theresa May and her Government to give us real Brexit and we will end up with some mealy-mouthed, backsliding version," he said.

"This will be a betrayal of the British people and a united Ukip under my leadership will never, ever allow that to happen."

He made clear his sights are on poaching votes from Labour, arguing that the party under Jeremy Corbyn was more interested in "dinner party" topics like climate change and fair trade than the interests of their working class voters, such as immigration and social mobility.

"I want to replace the Labour Party and make Ukip the voice of patriotic Britain," he said.

"Ukip's future is bright but for it to be so, Ukip must unite. Today's result has ensured that it will."

Mr Farage agreed that the new leader should focus on winning votes from Labour, arguing that there were seats from the Midlands to the North where a majority of Labour supporters voted for Brexit.

"Old Labour voters have absolutely nowhere else to go other than to come to Ukip," said the outgoing leader.

Mr Farage promised not to be "a back seat driver" but promised he would be available to offer support to the new leader if asked.

He said he would serve out his term in the European Parliament until 2019.

But more imminently, he was this week "going off to the USA - but you will understand, purely as a tourist".

Mr Farage warned: "If there isn't a significant electoral threat - and that can only frankly come from Ukip - then the chances are that what we voted for in that referendum will now be significantly watered down. That must not be allowed to happen."

The outgoing leader said Ukip was in a good position to thrive under its new leader.

"I think everything is to play for and I am happy and confident that I'm handing this over at a good time," he said.

West Midlands MEP and UKIP Transport spokesman Jill Seymour congratulated Mr Nuttall on his election.

She said: "As a long-term member and former deputy leader, he has immense experience and a great knowledge of the party; including a real grasp of the strengths and weaknesses we may have had in the past.

"He also chaired the UKIP National Executive Committee, and had the calmness and fortitude to keep it steady when it was under fire.

"Our new leader now has a vital task ahead of him, to ensure that the 17 million-plus who voted to leave the EU get what they asked for, and are not expected to settle for some watered-down deal.

"We owe it to the mass of hard-working UKIP members who pounded the streets, knocked on doors, delivered millions of leaflets and held hundreds of public events, to ensure that our party remains a force in British politics."