Suggested potential candidates at the time of Nigel Farage's resignation included Paul Nuttall, Steven Woolfe, Suzanne Evans, Diane James, Peter Whittle, Douglas Carswell and Patrick O'Flynn, among others.

[10][11] Woolfe, however, was reported to have allowed his membership to lapse for a few months (along with previously failing to declare a conviction from 14 years earlier for being drunk while in charge of a scooter (not drink-driving) when he stood for a police and crime commissioner post, in possible breach of electoral law);[12] the NEC was to decide on his eligibility during final vetting procedures.

[15] At the close of nominations on 31 July 2016, Woolfe missed the deadline for submitting his application by 17 minutes, owing to technical problems; on 3 August, the NEC ruled that this made him ineligible to stand.

[18] Jonathan Arnott later withdrew midway through the contest on 15 August 2016, saying he thought he could only come second and that he was not prepared to "court controversy in order to gain column inches" to be elected Leader.

[20] His policy proposals included cheaper beer, better representation for fathers in the family court system and a referendum on bringing back the death penalty.

[21] Also amongst his policy proposals were prison reform and a move to save the British public house by reintroducing smoking via the use of efficient extraction systems as used within the European Parliament itself.

[22] On 8 August she made a speech calling for a shutdown of Muslim schools and Sharia courts and a ban on Islamic full-face veils in public spaces.