Steven Woolfe has been EXCLUDED from ballot for Ukip leadership race to replace Nigel Farage
Party has been plagued by in-fighting as rival factions battle to secure control
UKIP leadership hopeful Steven Woolfe has been told he has been excluded from the ballot for the contest to replace Nigel Farage as leader.
The party released the names of those who made it on to the ballot paper at noon following days of meetings by officials to decide who is eligible.
In a statement Ukip said: "By a clear majority of national executive committee 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.”
Mr Woolfe, missed the nomination deadline by 17 minutes.
Three members of the NEC have resigned in protest at the decision to exclude Woolfe from the leadership race.
In a statement he said: "I am extremely disappointed by the Ukip NEC decision to exclude me from the party’s leadership election.
“Over the course of this leadership election, the NEC has proven it is not fit for purpose and it confirmed many member’s fears that it is neither effective nor professional in the way it governs the party.
"The NEC panel have failed to accept there were serious issues with the application system despite providing evidence that attempts of submission were made before the deadline.
"The NEC deny this is the fault of the Ukip system.
"Furthermore, highly confidential information about me held in party documents has been leaked to the press and the NEC has not sought to investigate this gross breach of privacy."
He added: "Although I am out of the contest I wish the other candidates well and hope they can show Ukip has a positive, inclusive, patriotic vision for Britain.”
Before the announcement Ukip donor Arron Banks accused Ukip's only MP, Douglas Carswell, and Neil Hamilton, group leader in the Welsh Assembly, of orchestrating moves to block the candidacy ahead of a meeting of the ruling National Executive Committee.
Mr Banks tweeted the "decision to exclude a Woolfe is the final straw - it's effectively a Hamilton/ Carswell coup".
Ukip has been plagued by in-fighting as rival factions battle to secure control of the party.
Mr Farage has attacked NEC members as "among the lowest grade of people I have ever met" and has long been at odds with Mr Carswell and Mr Hamilton.
Mr Woolfe was seen as the favourite to win the contest but missed the deadline to submit his nomination application on Sunday, blaming technical difficulties.
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It also emerged that he failed to declare a drink-driving conviction when he stood for a police and crime commissioner post in 2012.
The MEP said he "forgot about the conviction" when he stood in the Greater Manchester PCC election in 2012, in a possible breach of electoral law.
He has also denied allegations that he allowed his membership to lapse in 2014, which raised issues about his eligibility under controversial new party rules.
Former deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans, who was suspended from the party earlier this year after repeated clashes with Mr Farage, said Mr Woolfe is "probably ineligible".
Mr Farage, who announced he was quitting after the Leave victory in the EU referendum, said Ukip members should vote for the candidate who will best represent the party "on the big media stages" and around the country.
He urged his successor to "bypass" Ukip's national executive committee (NEC), claiming the governing body contains "total amateurs" who have acted as a "barrier to radical change and modernisation".
The candidates who do appear on the ballot paper are Huntingdonshire councillor Lisa Duffy, MEPs Bill Etheridge, Jonathan Arnott and Diane James as well as Elizabeth Jones and Phillip Broughton.
Diane James is the bookies favourite to replace Farage as Ukip leader following Steven Woolfe's exclusion from ballot
FOLLOWING the exclusion of Stephen Woolfe from the list of runners and riders Ladbrokes say Diane James is the clear favourite to replace Nigel Farage at just 1/3.
Next up are Lisa Duffy (5/1) and Jonathan Arnott (7/1) who are both fancied at single figure odds to usurp the jolly.
It's 50/1 apiece that outsiders Bill Etheridge, Liz Jones or Phillip Broughton pull off a shock victory.
Ladbrokes now make it just an even money shot Nigel Farage quits UKIP before the end of the year and joins a new political party.
The company’s spokeswoman Jessica Bridge said: "James is fast becoming a popular bet with punters and it's put her in pole position to become the next leader of UKIP following the omission of Woolfe.
“It's not out of the realms of possibility Farage quits UKIP altogether in order to form a new party before the year's out."