Jilted Ukip leader’s wife says marriage was not over
THE wife of Ukip’s new leader has accused him of lying over the claim their marriage was already over when he began an affair with a 25-year-old model.
Henry Bolton, 54, a former British Army officer elected Ukip leader in September, has insisted his wife was “fully aware” of his new relationship with Jo Marney and that their marriage was over when they met.
But Tatiana Smurova-bolton, 42, has broken her silence to complain that Mr Bolton’s version of events was not correct, and told The Daily Telegraph: “The reports that have emerged are untrue. However my focus right now is on my children and at the moment I won’t be commenting further.”
Asked if that meant Mr Bolton had lied about the timings, she replied: “Not only”, implying that her husband had been deceitful on other counts. Mrs Smurova-bolton, who has two young children aged four and one with Mr Bolton, declined to give further details.
Mrs Smurova-bolton, who is Russian-born, works in Vienna for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, an inter-government group combating terrorism and other threats to security.
Some Ukip members have been disgusted by Mr Bolton’s affair and called on him to resign. His wife’s version of events will add to pressure on him.
Ukip sources had insisted that Mr Bolton only met Miss Marney in December at the party’s annual Christmas function. They insisted the couple had fallen “head over heels in love” and added: “They met at the Christmas party and by then the marriage to Tatiana was already over.”
Mr Bolton declined to comment. Sheila Bolton, 79, his mother, said her family had been devastated by her son’s behaviour.