Diane James

Diane James
MEP
Leader of the UK Independence Party
In office
16 September 2016 – 4 October 2016
Preceded by Nigel Farage
Succeeded by Paul Nuttall
Deputy Chair of the UK Independence Party
In office
24 February 2016 – 16 September 2016
Served with William Dartmouth
Leader Nigel Farage
Preceded by Suzanne Evans
Succeeded by Suzanne Evans
UKIP Home Affairs and Justice Spokesperson
In office
21 July 2014 – 16 September 2016
Leader Nigel Farage
Preceded by position established
Succeeded by Jane Collins
Member of the European Parliament
for South East England
Assumed office
1 July 2014
Preceded by Sharon Bowles
Personal details
Born (1959-11-20) 20 November 1959
Political party Independent (2007–11, 2016–present)
UK Independence Party (2011–16)
Conservative (before 2007)
Alma mater University of West London
Website Parliament website

Diane Martine James (born 20 November 1959) is a British politician and an independent Member of the European Parliament. James was briefly leader-elect of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and formerly one of three UKIP Members of the European Parliament for South East England.[1][2]

James was born in Bedford and was a councillor on Waverley Borough Council from 2007 to May 2015, when she lost the seat to the Conservatives.[3] She was elected to the European Parliament in 2014. Following the resignation of Nigel Farage, she was elected leader of UKIP in September 2016 as his successor. She resigned from the leadership of the party on 4 October 2016, 18 days after being elected. On 21 November 2016, James announced she was leaving UKIP and would henceforth be sitting as an independent.[4]

Early life

James was educated at Rochester Grammar School, Kent and Thames Valley University, Slough.[5][6]

Political career

James was elected to Waverley Borough Council as an Independent representing Ewhurst ward after falling out with local Conservatives in 2007. She announced she was joining UKIP shortly after the 2011 election but refused to stand down and fight a by-election. She lost her seat in 2015 after standing as the UKIP candidate in the election. Her fellow UKIP councillors all lost their seats at the 2015 election.

James came second in the 2013 Eastleigh by-election with 27.8% of the vote, an increase of 24.2% on the 2010 figure.[7] She was elected to the European Parliament in 2014. James was the party's Home Affairs spokesperson, represented UKIP on the BBC's Question Time, and took part in debates at the Cambridge Union Society.

James was selected by North West Hampshire UKIP to be its candidate for MP in December 2014,[8] having been given a 1.2% chance of winning.[9] However, a few hours after making a speech at the UKIP Spring Conference in Margate, Kent, she stepped down from the Westminster candidacy "for personal reasons".[10]

In 2016 she said that Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of her political heroes.[11]

UKIP leadership

Following the resignation of UKIP leader Nigel Farage, James stood in the election to succeed him in August 2016. She emerged as one of the frontrunners.[12][13] On 16 September, she was announced as the new leader having received 8,451 votes (46.2% of votes cast); she was the first woman to hold the post.[14][15]

On 4 October 2016, James confirmed that she would not be pursuing the leadership of the party despite winning the leadership election.[16] James issued a statement saying she had decided not to become party leader as: "It has become clear that I do not have sufficient authority, nor the full support of all my MEP colleagues and party officers to implement changes I believe necessary and upon which I based my campaign."[17] Upon signing the document that notified the Electoral Commission of her election as UKIP leader, James added the Latin term vi coactus (under duress) after her signature. The Commission was unable to process the document due to her use of the words.[18]

She subsequently resigned her party membership on 21 November 2016, stating "it was time to move on" and that her relationship with UKIP had become "increasingly difficult", although she will continue to sit in the European parliament as an independent.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Diane James becomes UKIP leader". 16 September 2016 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  2. ↑ "South East – Vote 2014". BBC News. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "Ewhurst – Borough election results 2015". Waverley Borough Council. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  4. ↑ Mason, Rowena (21 November 2016). "Diane James quits Ukip, saying relations soured after she quit as leader". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "Diane James – UKIP". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  6. ↑ Thompson, Owen (2016-09-16). "Why Ukip's new leader Diane James should terrify both Labour and the Tories". Newstatesman.com. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  7. ↑ "Cameron not for turning despite Eastleigh byelection failure, says Gove". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Constituency List: England F-K". Electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  10. ↑ "UKIP candidate Diane James drops out of election race". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  11. ↑ "Exit stage right". The Economist. 6 October 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  12. ↑ Mason, Rowena (2 August 2016). "Diane James is new favourite to lead Ukip as candidate list is finalised". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  13. ↑ "UKIP leadership: The main contenders to succeed Nigel Farage". BBC News. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
  14. ↑ "Diane James becomes UKIP leader". BBC News. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  15. ↑ Matthew Goodwin (2016-09-16). "To keep Ukip alive, Diane James must make herself Labour's worst nightmare". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-09-17.
  16. ↑ "UKIP leader Diane James standing down". BBC News Online. 4 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  17. ↑ www.telegraph.co.uk
  18. ↑ Milmo, Cahal (5 October 2016). "Diane James and the Latin phrase that confirmed her doubts". The i newspaper. Johnston Press. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  19. ↑ "Diane James, former UKIP leader, quits party". BBC News. 21 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.

External links

European Parliament
Preceded by
Sharon Bowles		 Member of the European Parliament
for South East England
2014–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Nigel Farage		 Leader of the UK Independence Party
2016 		Succeeded by
Nigel Farage
Acting
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