UKIP in chaos: leader Henry Bolton loses confidence vote after girlfriend’s racist Markle messages

Britain’s anti-immigration UK Independence Party (UKIP) has been plunged into chaos after its leader, Henry Bolton, overwhelmingly lost a vote of confidence from the party’s national executive committee, but then indicated that he would not step down from the role voluntarily.

If he stays, the party will have to hold an emergency meeting of members in the next month to try to force him out.

Bolton, Ukip’s leader since September, has been under huge pressure over his relationship with Jo Marney, a 25-year-old party activist who was found to have sent racist text and social media messages.

The furore prompted a meeting of Ukip’s executive committee on Sunday, which decided on a no-confidence vote on his leadership. It was supported by all those present, apart from Bolton.

A statement from the party chairman, Paul Oakden, said the NEC meeting heard a statement from Bolton, after which members “asked a number of questions pertaining to that coverage”.

It said: “At the conclusion of that discussion, 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.”

Oakden said later that Bolton did not have any apparent plans to quit. He told LBC radio: “I think Henry Bolton certainly recognises the strength of feeling that there is within the NEC, but equally he feels that he is the right man to take the party forward.”