Nigel Farage suggests Ukip leader Henry Bolton could emulate Jeremy Corbyn

Under pressure: Henry Bolton
PA
Robin de Peyer23 January 2018
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Nigel Farage has claimed Ukip leader Henry Bolton could emulate Jeremy Corbyn in a battle over the future of the party.

Mr Bolton is currently locked in an extraordinary tussle with senior Ukip figures over his relationship with a 25-year-old model accused of sending offensive text messages about Meghan Markle.

But Mr Farage said Mr Bolton could emulate Labour's leader by winning over party members and staying in his job.

He said Ukip’s National Executive Committee, which has passed a vote of no confidence in Mr Bolton, was full of “hopeless amateurs” and suggested Ukip members should decide the party’s future at an extraordinary general meeting.

“If there was an EGM tomorrow Henry Bolton would lose it very heavily indeed,” Mr Farage admitted on BBC radio. “But he has a month in which to make his case.

Ukip warning: Nigel Farage
PA Archive/PA Images

“If he is able in the space of a month to put together a new constitution, and a new management structure for the party that shows that the leader needs to be able to lead and not be held back by a failed organisation he might just win the day.”

He added: “This extraordinary general meeting is not actually any more about Henry Bolton, it's about 'can Ukip survive as a party'.”

Mr Farage suggested there were parallels between Mr Bolton’s situation and Mr Corbyn’s fight to exert greater control over the Labour Party.

Split: Henry Bolton and Jo Marney
Twitter

"The media, everyone, thought 'it is over, Corbyn is finished'. But he managed to go round the back of the party leadership and straight to the members,” he said.

A string of senior Ukip figures resigned from key positions on Monday amid a backlash over Mr Bolton, a married father-of-two, leaving his wife to start a relationship with model Jo Marney.

It subsequently emerged that Ms Marney had made a series of offensive remarks about Prince Harry’s fiancée Ms Markle.

Mr Bolton said he and Ms Marney could "potentially" get back together after they had split up in the wake of the controversy.

He told the BBC: "The romantic side of the relationship is on hold. It won't go any further if indeed that is a problem for the party.

"Who knows what the future contains? Most probably it will not come back together."

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