Racist rants by UKIP leader’s girlfriend could kill his political career
It seems the girlfriend (now ex-girlfriend, if reports are accurate) of party leader Henry Bolton made racist comments on Facebook, about Prince Harry’s bride-to-be, Meghan Markle.
According to the Evening Standard:
In a series of messages published by the Mail on Sunday, Jo Marney reportedly said Ms Markle would “taint” the Royal Family, that she had a “tiny brain” and that black people were ugly.
Mr Bolton has appeared on television to defend Ms Marney. It’s uncomfortable viewing:
"I think it's inexcusable to exploit a young woman in order to get at me."
Ukip leader Henry Bolton talks about the break-up of his relationship with Jo Marney, who is alleged to have made racist remarks about Meghan Markle. pic.twitter.com/Yr2eGG3ONl
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) January 15, 2018
Let’s be honest – he comes across as trying to distance himself from the comments and the person who made them.
His claim that people cannot remember everything they write on Facebook is risible, considering her comments must all have been written in recent months.
His claim that it is inexcusable for her comments to be exploited in an attempt to attack him is also unconvincing – as are his comments about discussions he had with her on the relevant subjects.
It seems she had every opportunity to come clean about what she had done, and his claim that the controversy come about just days into the relationship therefore rings hollow.
So the following, if true, would be unsurprising:
UKIP leader Henry Bolton yesterday on racist girlfriend “I have no doubt …Jo and I are going to come out of this, as a couple stronger than we went into it." UKIP leader today “The romantic element of our relationship is over… “ @BBCr4today
— JOHN NICOLSON M.P. (@MrJohnNicolson) January 15, 2018
Of course the fact that Ms Marney is 25 years old and Mr Bolton is 54 – 29 years her senior – has nothing to do with anything at all, although this may be a hard position to argue, considering the fact that a young person has much to gain from an attachment to a person in a position of power; that is a fact of life that is unlikely to change any time soon. But the age difference has drawn the obvious remarks:
When you realise you’re two years older than the old bloke who is going out with the racist bird who is younger than your daughter and is too dense to shit…?
It’s time to wear purple with a red hat that doesn’t go.— Alison Moyet (@AlisonMoyet) January 14, 2018
“Too dense”? We’re told she had four ‘A’ levels when she was 15, don’t you know!
And the end result of all this explanation?
According to The Independent, Mr Bolton is still likely to lose his place as party leader at a meeting on Sunday:
Ukip leader Henry Bolton will be forced out within days after his girlfriend was accused of racist remarks about Meghan Markle, a former party deputy chairwoman says.
Suzanne Evans said Mr Bolton’s decision to end his relationship with Jo Marney would fail to save his job – urging him to quit because he had “brought the party into disrepute”.
Otherwise, next Sunday’s special meeting of Ukip’s national executive committee would pass a vote of no confidence, she predicted – plunging the party into its fourth leadership battle in just 18 months.
“He has displayed an astonishing lack of judgment,” Ms Evans said, pointing out Mr Bolton had “portrayed himself as a family man” when he won the leadership last September.
“I think he has brought the party into disrepute and, certainly, people have been kicked out of the party for that in the past,” she told the BBC’s Daily Politics programme.
She agreed that “politicians have a right to a private life”, but added: “He has left his wife for a woman who is younger than his youngest daughter, who has turned out to have held some reprehensible views.”
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This woman’s comments show up UKIP for the obnoxious racist organisation it is. Bolton cannot have been totally unaware of this woman’s r4acist bigotry.