Deja vu: Ukip leadership contest kicks off again

So, here we go again.

For the second time this year, UKIP is searching not just for a leader, but its soul too.

Today the race really got going. And the irony is that the shambolic resignation of Diane James after just 18 days may not have weakened the party, but strengthened it. No disrespect to Ms James, but this time around it's shaping up to be a far beefier fight.

In this contest, the candidates are genuine heavyweights. Okay, Suzanne Evans might not be a household name, but as former chair of the party I bet she's been on your telly. The slick media performer is well-known in the party and in politics more generally, promising to 'detoxify' UKIP with her smooth talking.

And today the former deputy leader of UKIP, Paul Nuttall MEP, also joined the race. Again, a recognisable face for anyone who follows the trials and tribulations of the party. Many had been frustrated that he didn't run last time - a seasoned performer, with an authentic northern voice who can continue cutting through to Labour's core vote.

They're joined by Raheem Kassam, who declared his bid earlier this month. A former adviser to Nigel Farage, he spent a good chunk of his career behind the camera, but his previous job means he's well connected and well-known. He's certainly easy to spot on Twitter, where his right-wing views often cause a stir.

Those are likely to be the main three candidates once nominations close at the end of October - bar any new surprises. And all three will have to answer one existential question, which each of them recognises: what is the point of the UK Independence Party after Brexit?

In that sense, Paul Nuttall is the continuity candidate. He essentially thinks UKIP is already on a good track in northern England, hoovering up disaffected Labour voters who didn't like the cut of Ed Miliband and don't like Jeremy Corbyn either. With strong showings for UKIP since the Brexit vote in places like Hartlepool, he thinks this is the party's future.

Suzanne Evans wants to steal the Lib Dems' position in the centre of politics. A slightly counter-intuitive idea, which Nigel Farage dismissed pretty quickly today, insisting UKIP should remain a "radical party". It's easy to see how she could personally appeal to a broader base, but hard to see exactly what the substance behind that appeal would be. Many feel UKIP is UKIP precisely because it doesn't represent the usual centrist fudge traditionally offered by the other parties.

And then there's Kassam, who refutes claims by Suzanne Evans that he wants to take the party to the "far-right". But he accepts he does want it to shift further in that direction, just not too 'far'. His policies include a referendum on banning the wearing of the veil in public, and he also wants to cut foreign aid by up to 85%. These policies would certainly place UKIP on its right-ward flank.

All of these candidates will face a tough challenge making UKIP relevant in a world where its existential question has been effectively answered: we will leave the EU. But arguably, all of them will have a better chance of answering it than the previous round of largely inexperienced candidates.