Diane James has been made leader of UKIP and now faces the task of reuniting a party riven by infighting and bitterness

The first female leader of the party, who won 8,451 votes, was immediately welcomed on stage by Nigel Farage and said it was an honour to be chosen to succeed him.

She heralded the party's success in delivering Brexit and trumpeted the "disruption we've caused".

Image: Nigel Farage embraces Diane James as she is elected the party's new leader

Ms James said it was now the job of the party to make sure they were "race ready" for the 2020 General Election and appealed for the party to come together to deliver a credible manifesto, attractive to voters.

:: Who is Diane James?


She went on to accuse the Prime Minister, who she tried to dub "magpie May", of stealing UKIP policies and said that the Conservatives should remember where the "best ideas came from".

She ended to applause by saying: "Mrs May you are watching the opposition party in waiting."

I'm right behind @DianeJamesMEP and I urge all in UKIP to support her. pic.twitter.com/MApuwm6TrP — Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) September 16, 2016

Mr Farage said he was fully behind Ms James and urged the rest of the party rally around her.

Giving his final conference speech as leader, ahead of the announcement Mr Farage warned: "We won the war, now we must win the peace."

He said he was "four-square" behind UKIP but cautioned the party must be "healthy and strong" to hold the Government to account over Brexit.

Farage: UKIP has changed the course of British history

Facing down criticism that with the EU referendum outcome UKIP was a spent force, Mr Farage said the party still had much to do and stood to benefit from a "deluge" of votes from dispirited Labour supporters.

And he urged supporters to continue to fight the fight against politicians, including Home Secretary Amber Rudd, who were still fighting the Remain case and trying to ensure a "soft Brexit rather than a hard Brexit".

To rapturous applause, the leader, who has come to define UKIP over the past decade, thanked members gathered in Bournemouth and said: "We did it, we got our country back."

UKIP donor evaluates party leadership

His speech comes as one of his closest aides defected to the Conservatives, saying that Theresa May had delivered on all elements of the UKIP manifesto.

She told The Guardian that "ideologically the Tories are doing the UKIP dance now".

In sharp criticism she said the party had become more "aggressive and testosterone-fuelled" in the later stages of Mr Farage's leadership and infighting had taken hold.

Speaking before Mr Farage, outgoing deputy leader Paul Nuttall said the party had been plagued by squabbling that had left it resembling a "jigsaw that has been emptied on to the floor".

He called for an end to the split, saying he feared for the future of the party.

Mr Nuttall told delegates: "I will be frank at this point, because I can be now. UKIP has not been a happy camp for over a year, and the animosity has spilt over into the media.

"No one, no one has emerged from this with their head held high."

:: Farage: Archbishop of Canterbury should go

Nigel Farage walks off stage for final time as leader. Whatever your views certainly had profound impact. pic.twitter.com/JFsoEPFr0t — Darren McCaffrey (@DMcCaffreySKY) September 16, 2016

In a short speech, Mr Farage told the conference that UKIP had "changed the centre of gravity of British politics" and thanked members for helping him deliver Brexit.

He said had given "everything" to his role as leader and it had been his "life's work", but now it was time for him to "have his life back".

He hinted that he could go to the US, where he has already given speeches alongside Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

And he warned out of office he would become even more outspoken.