Ukip leader is urged to quit over partner’s racist remarks

Ukip leader Henry Bolton is facing calls to resign after his girlfriend reportedly made racist remarks about Meghan Markle.

Mr Bolton’s 25-year-old partner Jo Marney sent a series of messages to a friend in which she made highly offensive comments about Prince Harry’s fiancée and black people.

The 54-year-old party leader, whose relationship with Ms Marney is under investigation by the party, said yesterday she had been suspended “immediately upon us receiving this information”. He is now facing calls to step down. Ukip West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge told him: “Go now. Go quietly and leave us to deal with what’s left.”

In a Facebook video message, Mr Etheridge said: “It appears that we are now seeing Ukip resources, which are at best scant, being used to defend Henry’s private life.”

Mr Etheridge said he would step down as a Ukip spokesman if Mr Bolton, who was elected leader in September last year, “insists on prolonging this agony”. Fellow former Ukip leadership candidate Ben Walker also called for Mr Bolton to resign, accusing him of having “deeply flawed judgment”.

Texts reported to have been sent by Ms Marney included use of the word “negro” and a message reading “this is Britain, not Africa” during

0 Henry Bolton is facing an investigation into his controversial private life and calls to step down a discussion about the royal engagement.

In a statement, Ms Marney said: “The opinions I expressed were deliberately exaggerated in order to make a point and have, to an extent, been taken out of context. Yet I fully recognise the offence they have caused.”

Mr Bolton replied to a young party member online who urged him to publicly call for Ms Marney to have her membership removed, tweeting: “Jo was suspended immediately upon us receiving this information.”

Peter Whittle, leader of Ukip’s delegation in the London Assembly, also called for Ms Marney to be “expelled altogether”.

Party chairman Paul Oakden said he decided to suspend Ms Marney’s party membership immediately after he was made aware of the messages.

The report of Ms Marney’s offensive texts comes as Mr Bolton faces an investigation into his controversial private life by senior party officials.

Mr Bolton left 42-year-old wife Tatiana, who gave birth to their second daughter in 2016, prior to his relationship with Ms Marney becoming public in early January. On her Twitter profile, Ms Marney describes herself as a model, actor and journalist.