Sadly, the resignation of Nigel Farage from the leadership of UKIP seems to have been the precursor to the collapse of the party. Just 18 days after her election as Farage's replacement, Diane James has announced that she will not be taking over after all as she doesn't have 'enough authority in the party'.
It seems that Ms James may have wanted to make changes to the party's organisation or focus, but that she did not receive the support of other leading party figures. Consequently, UKIP is now in utter turmoil as Ms James had not yet appointed a deputy, meaning that there is now a void at the top, although apparently Nigel Farage is still technically the leader.
The real problem is that Nigel Farage and UKIP have been virtually synonymous ever since the creation of the party, and there are no other leading members who have anything like Farage's standing or public profile. Indeed, Farage seems to have failed completely in taking steps to develop a structure within the party that would ensure that future leaders would emerge naturally and with full support. Instead, the party appears to have degenerated rapidly into a squabbling mass, with no one of Farage's authority to bring members together..
Conspiracy theorists will undoubtedly say that this was all just a ploy by Farage to hang on to the leadership but I suspect it's nothing other than a total balls-up. Unless someone with real leadership qualities emerges very quickly, UKIP may well now disappear altogether within a few months, to the detriment of us all..
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