Fresh Ukip crisis as party passes 'no confidence' vote in leader Henry Bolton
2 min read
Ukip’s ruling body has unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in the party's beleaguered leader, Henry Bolton.
The move, which sparks a fresh crisis in the anti-EU party, piles further pressure on Mr Bolton to quit less than four months after he took on the job.
Earlier today, he warned that Ukip would be finished as a political party if its national executive committee backed the no confidence motion.
He came came fire last week when racist messages by his model girlfriend were printed in a national newspaper.
Mr Bolton has faced repeated calls to quit from within his own party, despite breaking off his relationship with 25-year-old Jo Marney earlier this week.
At a meeting this afternoon, Ukip’s National Executive Committee (NEC) voted unanimously in favour of a motion of no confidence in Mr Bolton's leadership.
A spokesman for the party said: "The committee took the decision to hold a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Henry Bolton.
"The vote was carried unanimously with the exception of the leader.
"This decision will automatically trigger an Emergency General Meeting of the party, to allow the membership of Ukip the democratic opportunity to decide to endorse or reject that vote of no confidence."
Mr Bolton said he will not resign during a media blitz on Sunday, but an emergency meeting of Ukip members is expected to take place within 28 days, at which he could be forced to resign.
The former army officer told ITV’s Peston show: “If the NEC decides to go down the route of months of further infighting and further negative media scrutiny by deciding to pass a vote of no confidence in me, then I think that the reality is that the party is probably over.”
Mr Bolton, 54, left his wife to start a relationship with Ms Marney, a Ukip activist and model, at Christmas, but was forced to end it after it emerged she said Meghan Markle would “taint” the royal family and pave the way for a black king.
He has not ruled out reuniting with her in the future but made it clear he did not agree with her comments.
Should members decide to oust Mr Bolton over his controversial relationship, it will spark Ukip’s fourth leadership contest in just 16 months.
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