I’ve left my wife for a model in her twenties, says Ukip leader
HENRY BOLTON, the Ukip leader, last night revealed he had left his wife for a model in her twenties.
The twice-married former Army captain wrote to fellow party members to come clean over the change in his relationship status.
Mr Bolton, 54, who took the reins as the head of Ukip last September, confirmed he had started a relationship in recent weeks with Jo Marney, a model and a party member, reportedly from Kent.
It follows an admission soon after becoming Ukip leader where the former policeman said his new role had already put a strain on his relationship with Tatiana Smurova-bolton, 42, his Russian-born second wife. The couple have two children together.
A series of photographs showing Mr Bolton and Ms Marney spending Christmas together have appeared on the 25-year-old’s social media profile, including one of them cuddled up at a bar on Boxing Day.
In his message to party members, father-of-three Mr Bolton stressed there was nothing “clandestine” about the pair’s blossoming romance, according to the Daily Mail.
He said: “In recent weeks, I’ve had a change in my relationship status. If you follow me on social media – and hopefully you all do – you will have already seen that recently I have spent time with somebody who has become increasingly important to me. This isn’t something that I’ve hidden.”
He went on to say members ought to be “confident that it in no way distracts me or our party from the vital mission we have ahead of us”, adding: “Whilst I fully accept that as a national political figure I can expect to be the subject of media attention, I also believe we’re all entitled to a certain degree of privacy. As such, I’ll be making no further comment on the matter.”
Miss Marney, who describes herself as a model, actor and journalist, has posted several photos on her social media of the couple together. One, posted on Dec 16 on her Instagram, remarked how she had enjoyed a “fantastic Xmas dinner with our leader”.
Last night, a friend told The Sun: “It certainly took us all by surprise, but Jo is one of the Ukip family now. She’s lovely and clever and wants to help and support Henry.”
It comes less than two years after Mr Bolton’s second wife, Mrs Smurovabolton, gave birth to their daughter, Victoria, on a train at London’s St Pancras station. His eldest child, with his Danish first wife, is 32.
The Sun visited Ms Marney’s family home where they reportedly found Mr Bolton, wearing slippers, at the door. He told a reporter: “I’m here just visiting for the moment. My wife is fully aware of what’s been going on and has been abroad since July.”