FORMER UKIP leadership candidate Bill Etheridge says he’s “delighted" at the election of Paul Nuttall as the purple party’s new leader.

Mr Nuttall, UKIP’s former deputy leader, was today named as successor to former leader Nigel Farage who has been busy of late tending to his new friendship with US president elect Donald Trump.

UKIP members hope Bootle-born MEP Mr Nuttall, who was educated in a comprehensive school before going to university to study history, will appeal to the patriotic working classes.

Mr Etheridge, a UKIP MEP for the West Midlands, a councillor for Sedgley and a former challenger for the leadership himself, said: “Paul Nuttall is a colleague and a great friend of mine and I am absolutely delighted that he has been victorious in this election.

“Paul is extremely well educated and has an inside knowledge of UKIP that is second to none.

“I am confident that Paul can now unify the party going forward and lead us to new successes and victories.

“What we need is the various factions to come together and work on a common cause. UKIP are needed to ensure a proper Brexit is achieved, as per the will of the people, and also make sure we stay out in the future."

North West MEP Mr Nuttall was chairman of the part from 2008 to 2010 and deputy leader of UKIP under Mr Farage before resigning in September.

Wordsley councillor Paul Brothwood, UKIP leader on Dudley Council, was also pleased at the election of Mr Nuttall to lead the party going forward.

He said: “I’m over the moon that the unity candidate has won it. He’s held every position in the party. He’s been the patriotic voice of working class people that have been abandoned by Labour and the Tories."

UKIP now has its sights set on stealing votes from Labour supporters feeling disenfranchised by the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.

Cllr Etheridge said: “UKIP can fill the political vacuum caused by Labour’s lurch to the left and represent the patriotic working man in a way that the Islington based establishment fail to achieve.”