This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jan/18/ukip-leader-henry-bolton-still-loves-former-girlfriend-racist-texts

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Ukip leader says he still loves former girlfriend who sent racist texts Ukip descends into civil war as leader alleges 'organised coup'
(about 4 hours later)
Henry Bolton does not rule out rekindling relationship and says he is victim of internal party plot to oust him Henry Bolton hits back at critics after he is seen meeting former girlfriend who sent racist texts
Jessica Elgot Political reporter Peter Walker and
Thu 18 Jan 2018 09.32 GMT Jessica Elgot
Thu 18 Jan 2018 13.40 GMT
Last modified on Thu 18 Jan 2018 11.01 GMT First published on Thu 18 Jan 2018 09.32 GMT
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
View more sharing optionsView more sharing options
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
CloseClose
The Ukip leader, Henry Bolton, has admitted he is still in love with his former girlfriend after their relationship ended amid allegations she had sent racist text messages. Ukip has descended into virtual civil war after its embattled leader, Henry Bolton, accused members of plotting “an organised coup” against him, after he was seen having dinner with his former girlfriend, who has been suspended from the party for racism.
Bolton said he had been the victim of an internal plot to oust him, comparing his time as leader to facing the Taliban. Amid predictions Bolton could face a vote of no confidence by Ukip’s national executive this weekend, he insisted he would hold on to the post despite the controversy over his ties to Jo Marney, a 25-year-old activist and model, whom he said in an interview on Wednesday that he still loved and could get back together with.
“I’m going nowhere,” the ex-British army officer told the Telegraph. “I have seen people die, I have seen people blown up, I have seen people shot. Even the Taliban doesn’t quite prepare you for Ukip, though.” Bolton, 54, was pictured dining with Marney on Wednesday night at the National Liberal Club in Westminster, despite days before saying he was ending their relationship after it emerged she had sent racist and offensive text messages.
Bolton, who has been facing calls from within his own party to resign, said he and his former girlfriend Jo Marney had been through a difficult time, after the pair were spotted together at a restaurant in Westminster. Approached after the meal, Bolton said that she was returning to Maidstone and he was going home. They were subsequently photographed on the tube together while it was claimed that another picture showed them getting off a train in Folkestone, where Bolton has a flat.
Marney was revealed to have made racial slurs in text messages including against Meghan Markle, Prince Harry’s fiancee. Later Bolton was reported to have told Ukip officials that Marney had not spent the night at his house but took a taxi back to Maidstone, where she was photographed on Thursday.
Bolton said he had broken off the relationship and Marney has been suspended from the party, with Bolton due to have his conduct examined by Ukip’s national executive committee on Sunday. Marney was suspended by Ukip after messages were published in which she made racial slurs against Meghan Markle, Prince Harry’s fiancee, among other offensive statements.
Overnight, Bolton wrote on Facebook that an “organised coup and insurgency against my leadership of our party has begun”. In a stream of updates to his official Facebook page late on Wednesday, seemingly posted after his meal with Marney, Bolton, a former army officer and political novice who was elected Ukip leader in September, said “an organised coup and insurgency against my leadership” had been launched.
“Prominent individuals both inside and outside the party have cooperated with leftwing media to intentionally destabilise the party during this time and turn the members against me,” he wrote. “I was elected to lead this party and shall continue doing so against interest groups that I will unveil.” He wrote: “Prominent individuals both inside and outside the party have cooperated with leftwing media to intentionally destabilise the party during this time and turn the members against me.”
On Thursday, Bolton told the Telegraph he would not rule out rekindling his relationship with Marney, for whom he left his wife shortly before Christmas. Other posts included screenshots of text and chat messages which Bolton said showed a former leadership candidate, Ben Walker, colluding with Marney’s ex-boyfriend and others to seek to undermine Bolton.
“I don’t rule it out, not at all,” he said. Asked if he still loved her, Bolton said: “Yeah, absolutely. Walker was not immediately available for comment.
“This is all pretty fast and furious. There’s pressure to really understand what our relationship is. The feelings are there. In another sign the Ukip leader feels emboldened to fight back, Bolton told the Telegraph that he still had feelings for Marney. When asked if could get back together with her he said: “I don’t rule it out, not at all.”
“I have to say that in that brief time we had ... I haven’t been that happy in many years. That relaxed, that comfortable. She needs to sort her life out, I need to sort my life out. We will see what happens going forward.” Ukip’s national executive will meet in London on Sunday to decide on Bolton’s future, and may hold a vote of no confidence on his leadership.
The Ukip leader said he had found Marney to be “politically very aware” when they met in a pub and began talking about immigration. This would need nine of the 15 members to support it, but even then Bolton could remain in place until an emergency general meeting. If he quits, Ukip would face its fourth leadership election since 2016, when Nigel Farage departed.
Bill Etheridge, a Ukip MEP and former leadership candidate, resigned as a party spokesman over the row and called for Bolton to go “before his ego finally drags the party down”. It is a precipitous decline for a party that won nearly 4m votes at the 2015 general election, making it the third biggest political force in the UK by vote numbers. Support has since slumped and the party could now fracture completely.
Suzanne Evans, a former Ukip deputy leader, also said she expected Bolton to either resign or be sacked because of how he handled his relationship. Senior Ukip figures said it was difficult to gauge whether a no confidence vote would gather the necessary backing. “The worst situation would be something like eight votes against him, with three in favour and the rest abstaining. Then we’d be a bit stuck,” one said, speaking anonymously.
Should Bolton resign or be forced out, the party would need to seek its fourth leader since mid-2016, when Nigel Farage resigned after the EU referendum. Among Bolton’s critics, and even some who have backed him as leader, the concerns are less about the fact he had a relationship with Marney – breaking up with his Russian wife, Tatiana, with whom he has daughters aged five and 18 months – than the way he has handled the situation.
Marney was well known to other Ukip members as an activist with sometimes provocative views before Bolton met her shortly before Christmas. The senior party figure said that even if Bolton had not known in advance about her opinions, he could have foreseen the pitfalls.
“Henry has shown an astonishing lack of political judgment over this,” they said. “It’s the sort of situation where anyone with more experience would have seen the problems.
“His CV is very impressive, but it has no politics in it. The party took a risk in electing him, and now this has happened. Yes, there are a lot of people in Ukip who want to remove him for their own ends, but there’s also more to it.”
UK Independence party (Ukip)UK Independence party (Ukip)
Race issuesRace issues
newsnews
Share on FacebookShare on Facebook
Share on TwitterShare on Twitter
Share via EmailShare via Email
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn
Share on PinterestShare on Pinterest
Share on Google+Share on Google+
Share on WhatsAppShare on WhatsApp
Share on MessengerShare on Messenger
Reuse this contentReuse this content