Star comment: UKIP must now show it’s relevant

The victory of Henry Bolton in the recent leadership election led was a major boost for the party's more moderate members.

Their collective sign of relief could be heard all the way from the conference venue in Torquay to Tipton.

Many of them had become convinced that the party was set for a far right takeover, with its main reason for existence shifting from Brexit to a hatred of Islam.

But those of a UKIP persuasion know full well that the battle has only just begun.

This is a party that has undergone an alarming fall from grace since the EU referendum.

Its vote share has collapsed, both on a national and a local authority level.

It has no MPs, and by March 2019 it will have no Euro MPs either.

UKIP was supposed to be 'the guard dog of Brexit', but at times the collective members have squabbled like a pack of Jack Russells.

Without Nigel Farage at the helm, the party appears to have been incapable of functioning on even the most basic of levels.

This simply has to change.

The election of Mr Bolton has brought with it a period of calm, with the former soldier and policeman placating those on the Farage side of the party.

But he is unlikely to gain the support of those who backed Anne Marie Waters or Peter Whittle.

Unity is in short supply in modern day politics.

The Conservatives are divided over Brexit and divided over the long term future of Theresa May.

While Labour may give the impression of one big happy left-wing family under Jeremy Corbyn, the reality is a deeply split party that is seemingly ruled by fear.

Meanwhile, at least around these parts, the Lib Dems are about as relevant as Myspace and VHS.

Britain's fall into a two-party state is deeply worrying, particularly when Labour and the Tories both have such serious issues to contend with.

After four leaders in 16 months, UKIP badly needs to rally behind Mr Bolton.

While a disastrous lurch towards extinction may have been averted, the party has a mountain to climb if it is to show voters that it is still a relevant, political force.