Ukip faces mutiny as leader told ditching mistress is ‘not enough’
UKIP leader Henry Bolton faced a party mutiny last night despite dumping his mistress in a desperate bid to save his career.
He split with topless model Jo Marney, 25, after it emerged that she made racist comments about Meghan Markle.
Despite saying he would stick by his lover, 54-year-old Mr Bolton yesterday said the ‘romantic part’ of his relationship was over following comments in which she suggested black people were ‘ugly’.
However, pressure continued to mount on Mr Bolton to quit as senior members of the party led a revolt against him.
He faces a vote of no confidence at a summit attended by senior party figures on Sunday, said deputy leader Suzanne Evans. Asked if he should resign, she told the BBC’s Daily Politics: ‘Unfortunately I think he should. I say that with a very heavy heart, because the last thing we need is another leadership election.’
Some members now want to see black Ukip London Assembly member David Curten installed as leader to kill off the party’s racist image
Ukip culture spokesman David Meacock, who is black, also called for Mr Bolton to resign immediately. Meanwhile, Ukip MEP Bill Etheridge quit as the party’s sports spokesman in protest at Mr Bolton’s refusal to stand down.
He accused the leader of throwing his girlfriend ‘under a bus to save his skin’, adding: ‘If Henry Bolton has an ounce of patriotism he’ll resign.’ Mr Etheridge’s criticism came despite his own marital problems. His wife left him after finding Viagra in his car and accused the politician of cheating with a party worker.
Former Ukip leadership candidate Ben Walker also called for Mr Bolton to resign, accusing him of ‘deeply flawed judgment’. Peter Whittle, another former leadership challenger, said Mr Bolton had a big task to win back the trust of members.
And Ukip chairman Paul Oakden said the party leader had a ‘difficult’ decision to make. Yesterday, Mr Bolton gave a round of broadcast interviews to calm the furore and insist he had finished with Miss Marney, who is a party member.
Initially, he had pledged to stand by the model, for whom he left his wife and children, saying the comments did not ‘reflect her core beliefs’.
But he later told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘I don’t defend these comments whatsoever and indeed Jo has been suspended pending an investigation ... and it is against the constitution for the party to be racist in any way.
‘As of last night the romantic side of our relationship is ended.’ He admitted his relationship with Miss Marney was ‘obviously quite incompatible’ with his position as party chief.
But despite calls for his resignation, he insisted he wanted to stay – saying: ‘I am not intending to resign – at all. It’s up to the party what happens in relation to my leadership.’
Miss Marney has apologised after it emerged that she had sent online messages saying Prince Harry’s fiancee Miss Markle would ‘taint’ the Royal Family. On Monday, further offensive comments about the abuse of babies emerged.
Mr Bolton’s relationship with Miss Marney was revealed earlier this month. He has left his wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, 42, who last night said she would not take her husband back – and accused him of ‘inexplicably poor’ judgment.
She told the Daily Telegraph: ‘Whether I would have him back, there is very little ground for contemplating such a possibility. Whilst he did leave this woman, he has done so based on her racist comments which had a direct impact on his political future and not because he realised the terrible mistake he has done towards me and our little ones.’
‘Trying to save his skin’