Former Nigel Farage aide defects from UKIP to Conservatives

A former aide of Nigel Farage has defected to the Conservatives, as UKIP prepares to announce its new leader.

Alex Phillips, who was UKIP's head of media for two years, said she was impressed by PM Theresa May.

The government was putting in place UKIP policies on grammar schools and Brexit, she said.

Ms Phillips said her former party, which declined to comment, was in a "catastrophic mess" and riven by irreparable schisms and divisions.

• New UKIP leader to be announced

Mr Farage told BBC Breakfast UKIP needed to address the fact that many of its senior officials did not have the political experience and expertise necessary.

"That's a function of where we came from," he said. "We were a grassroots party. That is why it was run that way. It does need to professionalise and change.

"But you know a new broom sweeps clean. That is a job for the new leader to do."

Nigel Farage resigned in part because of divisions in the party, Ms Phillips said

Under his leadership, he said the party had gone from being regarded as a "kooky" outfit on the margins to winning national elections.

He rejected suggestions UKIP was irrelevant following the vote to leave the EU, saying it was the only party able to keep the pressure on Theresa May to "deliver on Brexit".

The new UKIP leader is to be announced later at the party's annual conference in Bournemouth.

Five contenders stood for election after Nigel Farage resigned in July, saying the UK's Brexit vote meant his political ambition had been achieved. The candidates are Elizabeth Jones, Lisa Duffy, Philip Broughton, Diane James and Bill Etheridge.

'Bitterness, anger'

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the state of UKIP, Ms Phillips said: "There's a lot of suspicion, there's a lot of jealousy, there's a lot of bitterness and anger."

She added she felt she had "outgrown" the party.

Ms Phillips said there was "bitterness and anger" in the party

Mr Farage had stepped down as leader, she said, partly because the divisions became so profound the party had ground to a halt.

"Being able to keep the machine oiled and functioning in terms of co-operating and working with the NEC had all dried up and I think Nigel eventually just threw his hands up and went, 'Well, what's the point?'," she said.

Ms Phillips revealed she is writing a memoir about her experience working closely with Mr Farage on a series of election campaigns.

She stressed that she was a "huge fan" of the outgoing UKIP leader and blamed his advisers for his failure to win a seat in the House of Commons.

But she added: "I do think that he has a tendency at times to create rifts with people.

"You can fall out of favour with Nigel - and some people have learned that to their cost."

'May's conviction'

Ms Phillips worked as UKIP's head of media from 2013 until last year.

Most recently she has been working for Welsh assembly member Nathan Gill, who sits as an independent after falling out with the leader of UKIP in Wales, former Conservative MP Neil Hamilton.

Ms Phillips, who is now a member of the Conservative Party, said: "I'm extremely impressed by Mrs May's conviction when it comes to selective education.

"I am currently reassured by what she's saying about Brexit, and I'm also optimistic about Britain's future energy security because I know that she's willing to go ahead and say, 'Right, let's have exploratory drilling for shale gas.'

"I think those three key issues are in the UKIP 2015 manifesto. They're now actually being conducted in Parliament, which is excellent."