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Stephen Crowther
Stephen Crowther
Leader of the UK Independence Party
	Acting; 9 June 2017 – 29 September 2017
Deputy	Peter Whittle
Preceded by	Paul Nuttall
Succeeded by	Henry Bolton
Chair of the UK Independence Party
	In office; 8 November 2010 – 5 July 2016
Leader	Nigel Farage
Preceded by	Paul Nuttall
Succeeded by	Paul Oakden
Personal details
Born	January 1957 (age 67)
Political party	UK Independence Party (until 2018)

Stephen James Crowther (born January 1957) is a former acting leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP). On 9 June 2017, he succeeded Paul Nuttall who stepped down after the party failed to win any seats in the 2017 UK general election.^[1]

Crowther had previously been UKIP party chairman, a position from which he resigned in July 2016 a few weeks after the EU referendum.^[2] In 2014, as part of UKIP's efforts to avoid growing embarrassment from online racist comments by members, he advised members not to join Facebook or Twitter.^[3]

In late 2015, he was called the "absentee Chairman" by Matthew Goodwin in his sequel book on the history of UKIP.

Crowther has been the UKIP candidate for North Devon three times. In the 2017 general election he polled the second-fewest votes in the constituency. He is a retired trade journalist and writer who ran an advertising agency in London.^[4] Considered as an interim leader of UKIP, Crowther said he would launch the process for the election of a more permanent party leader.^[5]

He resigned from UKIP in December 2018.^[6]

Elections contested

UK Parliament elections

Date	Constituency	Party	Votes	% votes
2010	North Devon	UKIP	3,720	7.2^[7]
2015	North Devon	UKIP	7,719	14.8^[8]
2017	North Devon	UKIP	1,187	2.1^[9]

References

^ Jon Sharman, "Ukip appoints interim leader after Paul Nuttall's resignation", The Independent, 9 June 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
^ "Statement from Steve Crowther - Resignation as UKIP Party Chairman", UKIP website, posted 5 July 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
^ Heather Saul, "Ukip warns members not to join Facebook or Twitter", The Independent, 20 December 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
^ Abbie Bray, "New UKIP leader is Devon's Steve Crowther", DevonLive.com, 9 June 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
^ "Steve Crowther named as new UKIP Leader", ITV News, 9 June 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
^ Tom Rayner, Sky News (7 December 2018). ""New: Former Acting UKIP leader Steve Crowther confirms he has left the party. He told Sky News: "I have been thinking for some time whether to renew my membership, after it expired last month, and I have come to the conclusion I will not""". Twitter. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
^ "Election 2010 results, Devon North". BBC News. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
^ "Election 2015: Devon North". BBC News. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
^ "Election 2017: Devon North", BBC News. Retrieved 12 June 2017

Party political offices
Preceded by Paul Nuttall	Chair of the UK Independence Party 2010–2016	Succeeded by Paul Oakden
Preceded by Paul Nuttall	Leader of the UK Independence Party Acting 2017	Succeeded by Henry Bolton