![\"UKIP-TOMMY-ROBINSON-FARAGE\"\/](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.dailystar.co.uk\/dynamic\/205\/photos\/409000\/620x\/UKIP-TOMMY-ROBINSON-FARAGE-726820.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSpeaking exclusively to Daily Star Online, Gerard Batten admitted middle-class UKIP voters \u201cmight be less understanding\u201d of the party's policy platform since he took over. <\/p>\n
He recently welcomed infamous YouTubers and alleged members of the British 'Alt Right' Sargon of Akkad, Count Dankula and Paul Joseph Watson into the party. <\/p>\n
Mr Batten also spoke out in support of ex-EDL leader Tommy Robinson after he was jailed on contempt of court charges. <\/p>\n
Former leader Nigel Farage has expressed doubts over Batten's leadership, saying he spent years "trying to keep people like [Robinson] out of the party". <\/p>\n
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Batten told us: \u201cUKIP, in my view, hasnt really changed but events have changed around it\u2026things have developed. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are a UKIP person who lives down in a shire somewhere very nice, where youre not touched by the issues of the inner city, you might be less understanding of the direction the party has taken under my leadership. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe vast majority of our members are supporting what Im doing. To please everybody all the time is impossible." <\/p>\n
Batten went on to rail against defecting Tories joining the party \u2013 the likes of which include Mr Farage himself, Mark Reckless and Douglas Carswell. <\/p>\n
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CLASS WAR: Batten denied UKIP was split between the poor and the posh <\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cThis has to be a party that represents ordinary working people. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe amount of ex-Tories who rose to prominent positions in UKIP used to dismay me. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a long period when we had people who had defected from the Tory party and we were just seen as some sort of alternative to the Conservatives." <\/p>\n
Although Batten played down rumours of internal divisions, he admitted he was having a "nightmare" keeping everyone happy. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor the past few weeks Ive been trying to finish off our manifesto and it has been a nightmare of a task.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want us to be a populist party. In as much as, I want us to be a party that is popular with the people.\u201d <\/p>\n
UKIPs party conference takes place in Birmingham over the weekend of September 21 and 22. <\/p>\n
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