 He was endorsed by former UKIP leader Gerard Batten after the National Executive Committee prohibited Batten from standing.He became the first Old Etonian to lead UKIP since Lord Pearson of Rannoch.Braine refused to attend UKIP's annual party conference in September 2019, in protest at the UKIP National Executive Committee's decision to no longer regard Gerard Batten as a member of the party "in good standing".