Gerard Batten: Former UKIP Leader and MEP

Introduction

Gerard Batten is a British former politician who played a long-running role in the UK Independence Party, commonly known as UKIP. He helped establish the party in the early 1990s and later represented London in the European Parliament for about 15 years.

He became UKIP leader in 2018 after a difficult period for the organisation. His time at the top attracted national attention because of debates about Brexit, immigration, Islam, and the future direction of the party.

Today, the clearest way to describe him is as a former UKIP leader and former Member of the European Parliament. He no longer serves as an MEP and does not currently hold a verified elected political office.

Gerard Batten Quick Facts

Fact	Details
Full name	Gerard Joseph Batten
Date of birth	27 March 1954
Birthplace	London, United Kingdom
Nationality	British
Profession	Former politician
Known for	UKIP leadership and European Parliament career
Political party most associated with	UK Independence Party
UKIP founder member	1993
Early UKIP role	First Party Secretary, 1994–1997
European Parliament constituency	London
First elected as MEP	2004
Final year as MEP	2019
UKIP leader	2018–2019
London mayoral candidate	2008
General election candidate	Romford in 2015 and Maidenhead in 2017
Current status	Former UKIP leader and former MEP

Who Is Gerard Batten?

Gerard Batten became publicly known through his work with UKIP and his opposition to deeper political integration between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

He was involved with the party from its earliest years. This makes him one of the figures connected with UKIP long before the Brexit referendum became one of the biggest political events in modern British history.

His career places him among the better-known British political figures involved in debates about Britain’s relationship with Europe.

Unlike some UKIP politicians who became nationally famous mainly during the Brexit campaign, Batten had already spent many years working within the party and the European Parliament.

Early Political Involvement

Batten was a founder member of the UK Independence Party in 1993.

He later served as the party’s first secretary between 1994 and 1997. These early positions gave him an organisational role during a period when UKIP was still a relatively small political movement.

Before becoming a full-time political figure, he also worked outside Parliament, including employment with British Telecom.

His political career became much more visible after he was elected to the European Parliament.

European Parliament Career

Gerard Batten was first elected as a Member of the European Parliament for London in 2004.

He remained an MEP through three consecutive parliamentary periods:

• 2004 to 2009
• 2009 to 2014
• 2014 to 2019

During these years, he took part in committees dealing with subjects including security, defence, civil liberties, justice, home affairs, constitutional matters, and European political issues.

His long period in Brussels and Strasbourg made him one of UKIP’s more experienced European representatives.

A central theme throughout his political career was opposition to Britain’s membership of the European Union.

This position later became far more important nationally when the UK held its EU membership referendum in 2016.

London Mayoral Election

In 2008, Batten stood as UKIP’s candidate for Mayor of London.

He received a relatively small share of the vote and did not seriously challenge the leading candidates.

However, the election increased his visibility outside the European Parliament and showed his willingness to contest major political positions in the United Kingdom.

2015 General Election

In the 2015 UK general election, he stood for Parliament in Romford.

He received 11,208 votes, equal to about 22.8% of the total vote.

That result placed him second behind Conservative candidate Andrew Rosindell.

It was one of Batten’s stronger performances in a UK parliamentary election, although he did not win the seat.

Standing Against Theresa May

Two years later, he contested the Maidenhead constituency in the 2017 general election.

The seat was represented by Theresa May, who was Prime Minister at the time.

Batten received 871 votes, representing about 1.5% of votes cast.

The contest attracted attention mainly because he was standing against the serving British prime minister.

Becoming UKIP Leader

UKIP went through several leadership changes after the 2016 Brexit referendum.

In February 2018, Gerard Batten became interim leader following the removal of Henry Bolton.

He was then confirmed as permanent leader in April 2018 after being the only candidate remaining in the leadership process.

His appointment gave a long-serving member of the organisation control during one of the most difficult periods in its history.

UKIP was facing falling political support, leadership instability, and competition from new Brexit-focused movements.

Gerard Batten and Brexit

Brexit was central to his political message.

He had supported Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union long before the 2016 referendum.

When voters chose to leave the EU, UKIP achieved one of the major goals that had defined the party for many years.

However, Brexit also created a problem for the organisation.

Once leaving the EU became official government policy, UKIP had to explain what purpose it would serve next.

During Batten’s leadership, the party attempted to remain relevant by focusing on immigration, cultural issues, free speech, and criticism of how the British government was handling Brexit.

Tommy Robinson Controversy

One of the biggest controversies during Batten’s leadership came in November 2018.

He appointed Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, as a personal adviser.

The appointment concerned issues including prisons and grooming gangs.

Robinson could not become a normal UKIP member under the party’s rules at that time.

The decision caused strong disagreement inside UKIP.

Former leader Nigel Farage publicly criticised the move and argued that the party was moving in the wrong direction.

Other senior figures also left UKIP during the wider dispute about its political direction.

Batten rejected claims that he was deliberately turning the organisation into a far-right party.

The episode remains one of the most discussed parts of his period as leader.

What Happened to UKIP Under Gerard Batten?

UKIP performed badly in the 2019 European Parliament elections.

The party lost all of its European Parliament seats.

Batten also lost the London MEP position he had held since 2004.

The result was especially damaging because the Brexit Party, led by former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, became the strongest party in that European election in Britain.

The outcome showed that many Brexit-supporting voters had moved away from UKIP.

Following the election defeat, Batten stepped down as party leader in June 2019.

Why Did Gerard Batten Leave UKIP?

The exact circumstances surrounding his later departure from UKIP require careful wording.

Official UKIP statements published in 2020 gave different descriptions.

One party statement said he had resigned. Another later official statement said he had been suspended and removed after not appealing the decision.

Because these accounts came from the organisation itself but did not fully match, the safest conclusion is simple:

By 2020, Gerard Batten was no longer a member of UKIP.

It is better not to state a more detailed version as certain when the party’s own published accounts differed.

Is Gerard Batten Still in UKIP?

No current evidence supports describing him as a UKIP leader or active UKIP office-holder.

His leadership ended in 2019, and official party material confirmed that he was no longer part of UKIP by 2020.

Therefore, articles describing him as the “current UKIP leader” would be outdated.

The correct description in 2026 is former UKIP leader.

Is Gerard Batten Still an MEP?

No.

His European Parliament service ended in 2019.

He first became an MEP in 2004 and served London for around 15 years.

The United Kingdom later formally left the European Union, and British politicians no longer serve as UK Members of the European Parliament.

For readers searching for his current political position, this is an important distinction.

What Is Gerard Batten Doing Now?

As of August 2026, no current elected political office has been reliably confirmed for Batten.

He is mainly discussed today because of his historical role in UKIP, his years in the European Parliament, his Eurosceptic views, and the controversy surrounding the final period of his party leadership.

It would be inaccurate to assign him a new political title without reliable evidence.

Gerard Batten’s Political Views

His public career was strongly associated with Euroscepticism.

For many years, he argued that Britain should leave the European Union.

His political activities also focused on immigration, national sovereignty, security, justice, and criticism of EU institutions.

During his leadership years, his comments about Islam and his decision to work with Tommy Robinson became especially controversial.

Critics accused him of moving UKIP towards the far right.

Batten rejected that description.

A fair profile should therefore present both the criticism and his response rather than describing disputed political labels as uncontested facts.

Personal Life

Reliable public records provide much more detail about Batten’s political career than his family life.

Information about a spouse, children, or other close relatives should not be added unless it is supported by dependable public evidence.

For the same reason, claims commonly found on biography websites about his home, lifestyle, or personal finances should be treated cautiously.

Gerard Batten Net Worth

There is no strong public financial record that supports a reliable figure for his current net worth.

Online estimates from generic wealth websites should not be treated as factual evidence.

His former position as an MEP shows that he received the standard compensation connected with that public office during his parliamentary career, but this does not reveal his total personal wealth.

For that reason, attaching a specific net worth figure to him would be misleading.

Major Career Timeline

1993

Batten became a founder member of UKIP.

1994–1997

He served as the party’s first secretary.

2004

He was elected as a Member of the European Parliament for London.

2008

He stood as UKIP’s candidate for Mayor of London.

2009

He began his second European Parliament term.

2014

He returned for a third term as a London MEP.

2015

He stood in Romford during the general election and finished second.

2017

He contested Maidenhead against Prime Minister Theresa May.

2018

He became interim UKIP leader and was later confirmed as permanent leader.

November 2018

He appointed Tommy Robinson as a personal adviser, causing a major internal party dispute.

2019

UKIP lost all its European Parliament seats. Batten lost his London seat and later stepped down as leader.

2020

Official UKIP material confirmed that he was no longer part of the party.

Why Gerard Batten Is Still Searched Today

Interest in Gerard Batten continues mainly because his career overlaps with several important stages of modern British politics.

He was involved with UKIP before it became nationally influential, spent around 15 years representing London in the European Parliament, and later led the party after the Brexit referendum.

His leadership also became part of the debate about how UKIP changed after its original goal of leaving the European Union had largely been achieved.

For many readers, the most important point is that Batten is now a former politician in terms of elected office, rather than a current UKIP leader or serving MEP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Gerard Batten?

Gerard Batten is a British former politician who helped found UKIP, represented London in the European Parliament from 2004 to 2019, and led UKIP from 2018 to 2019.

How old is Gerard Batten?

He was born on 27 March 1954.

Was Gerard Batten a UKIP founder?

Yes. He was a founder member of UKIP in 1993 and later became its first party secretary.

When was Gerard Batten UKIP leader?

He led UKIP from 2018 until 2019.

Was Gerard Batten an MEP?

Yes. He represented London in the European Parliament between 2004 and 2019.

Is Gerard Batten still in UKIP?

Official UKIP material confirms that he was no longer part of the party by 2020.

Is Gerard Batten still in politics?

As of August 2026, no current elected political office or formal party leadership role has been reliably confirmed for him.

Did Gerard Batten stand against Theresa May?

Yes. He stood as the UKIP candidate in Maidenhead during the 2017 general election.

Why was Gerard Batten controversial?

A major controversy involved his appointment of Tommy Robinson as a personal adviser in 2018. The decision caused serious disagreement inside UKIP and was criticised by figures including former party leader Nigel Farage.

Final Summary

Gerard Batten had a long association with the UK Independence Party, beginning as a founder member in 1993 and eventually becoming its leader in 2018.

His longest public role was as a London MEP, a position he held from 2004 until 2019.

His leadership came during a difficult period for UKIP. Internal arguments, changing Brexit politics, the Tommy Robinson controversy, and competition from the Brexit Party all shaped the final year of his leadership.

After UKIP lost all its European Parliament seats in 2019, he stepped down as leader. By 2020, he was no longer part of the party.

As of August 2026, the most accurate description is Gerard Batten, former UKIP leader and former Member of the European Parliament for London.