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| UKIP leadership: Steven Woolfe excluded from race | UKIP leadership: Steven Woolfe excluded from race |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| UKIP leadership hopeful Steven Woolfe has been ruled "ineligible" to stand in the contest to replace Nigel Farage. | |
| The party's NEC said Mr Woolfe - seen as the frontrunner - was excluded because of "a late submission". Mr Woolfe had blamed computer problems for missing the deadline on Sunday. | |
| On the final ballot are MEPs Jonathan Arnott, Bill Etheridge and Diane James, councillor Lisa Duffy and activists Phillip Broughton and Elizabeth Jones. | On the final ballot are MEPs Jonathan Arnott, Bill Etheridge and Diane James, councillor Lisa Duffy and activists Phillip Broughton and Elizabeth Jones. |
| Three NEC members have quit in protest. | |
| Victoria Ayling, Raymond Finch and Michael McGough said in a joint statement that the party's executive "is no longer fit for purpose" and called for a vote of no confidence in the NEC. | |
| 'Popular' | |
| They accused the ruling body of "deliberately obstructing" Mr Woolfe and accused some of its members of putting personal ambitions ahead of the interests of the party. | |
| "Steven Woolfe is a popular candidate among UKIP's members and should be permitted to represent those that wish to vote for him," they wrote. | |
| "To purposefully trawl for technicalities upon which to base a decision to deny his inclusion is not in the best interests of the membership and truly injurious to UKIP." | |
| The winner of the leadership contest - sparked by Mr Farage's decision to stand down after the UK voted to leave the EU - is scheduled to be announced on 15 September. | |
| In a statement announcing the final line-up of the leadership contest, the party said: "By a clear majority of NEC members Steven Woolfe MEP's application was considered to be ineligible as a result of a late submission and as such he did not meet the eligibility criteria. | |
| "His membership of the party was not in question." | |
| BBC political correspondent Tom Bateman said the NEC's decision "opens up a whole new schism in UKIP" and he understood that Mr Farage could call an emergency meeting of the party membership to put pressure on the body. | |
| Meanwhile, Ms James - now regarded as the favourite in the contest - has launched her own campaign website. |