UKIP leader Nigel Farage has pledged to take a step back from the limelight and spend more time “professionalising” the party, with less than two years left until the next general election. The announcement follows criticism from former party chief executive Will Gilpin – sacked this week after just eight months in the role – who described the party as “a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs.” That critique was subsequently highlighted by a characteristically tasteless and insensitive comment from UKIP member Godfrey Bloom that “most women can find the mustard in the pantry quicker than a man and most men can reverse a car better than a woman”.

Farage told the Telegraph: “The party does need professional management but thus far we haven’t found the person to deliver it. I gave up all managerial control of the party in 2010, I gave it up to a new group of people and at the moment we haven’t got to where we need to and so therefore … I will now be once again taking back some direct managerial control of the party until I’m confident we’ve got the right people in place.

He added: “I will have to do less politics, fewer interviews, fewer public meetings, fewer appearances and I will have to spend more time directly overseeing the jobs being done, because the problem we have had is one of non-delivery. We do need to get a grip on things. We do need to professionalise things and so I’m going to have to take a much more direct, managerial role.”

Since its formation 20 years ago, UKIP has made great strides in the UK political system. From starting out as a small, rambunctious protest group, the party has now become a serious alternative for some British voters. The party’s strong showing in the opinion polls was reflected by record results in this year’s county council elections in England, where the party polled an average of 23% in the wards it stood, and returned 147 elected councillors.

Part of the organisation’s appeal (and a motivator of the criticism against it) is its unapologetically direct anti-immigration and euro-sceptic views from very vocal and charismatic representatives, such as incumbent honcho Farage – who has never been one to shy away from controversy. While UKIP’s clumsy outlook has caused many to laugh and poke fun, for others its clunkiness is part of a very human demeanour that sets it apart from the more mechanical and sterile mainstream parties.

The rise of UKIP’s popularity has also put pressure on Britain’s main centre-right party, the Conservatives, with the resulting agitation spurring misfires from key quarters of the government PR machine – such as the Home Office’s infamous “Go Home vans”, anti-immigration campaign in London earlier this month.

Image of Nigel Farage courtesy of landmarkmedia / Shutterstock.com