Leader of Britain's UKIP faces calls to quit over girlfriend's remarks

[webfact]

Leader of Britain's UKIP faces calls to quit over girlfriend's remarks

 

Meghan Markle waves to well wishers after visiting radio station Reprezent FM, with her fiancee Britain's Prince Harry, in Brixton, London January 9, 2018. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski/Pool

 

LONDON (Reuters) - The leader of Britain's eurosceptic UK Independence Party faced calls on Sunday to stand down after a newspaper published racist messages sent by his girlfriend about Prince Harry's fiancee Meghan Markle.

 

Last year, Henry Bolton was the fourth leader in a year to be appointed to the helm of UKIP, a party which helped bring about a Brexit vote. He hit the tabloid newspapers over Christmas when they reported that he had left his wife for 25-year-old model and UKIP member Jo Marney.

 

The Mail on Sunday published a series of messages sent by Jo Marney to a friend in which she made offensive comments about Markle and black people. The newspaper also published an apology from Marney, who said her comments had been "taken out of context".

 

UKIP's Bill Etheridge, a member of the European Parliament, said: "The time has come for Henry Bolton to resign as leader of UKIP. He must go, he must go quickly, he must go as quietly as possible."

 

"It appears to me that the lack of experience in politics from Henry has got the better of him," he said in a video statement, describing the last few months as "hell" for the party.

 

Peter Whittle, UKIP's member of the London Assembly, also criticised the remarks, saying they were "disgraceful".

 

"This person should not just be suspended from @UKIP but expelled altogether," he said on Twitter.

 

Led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, UKIP won nearly 4 million votes in 2015, 12.6 percent of those cast, on its anti-European Union platform, putting it at the forefront of British politics even though it managed to win one seat in parliament.

 

But its fortunes have sunk since, hurt by internal fights over its future direction. At last year's election in June, UKIP won 1.8 of the vote.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, editing by Louise Heavens)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-01-15

[canuckamuck]

What did she say?

[PattayaAngel]

So his GF sent the messages?  what's that to do with him?  he should just say 'ask her'  or is he his GF's keeper?

[robblok]

1 hour ago, canuckamuck said:

What did she say?

How black people were ugly how it was so bad that the prince had a black gf as this could lead to the throne of England being soiled by having a black king ect ect. Typical racist stuff.

[robblok]

5 minutes ago, PattayaAngel said:

So his GF sent the messages?  what's that to do with him?  he should just say 'ask her'  or is he his GF's keeper?

He is a politician..and if he has close friends like that you can only imagine his own ideas on the matter. 

[RuamRudy]

Is this the wrong forum to question whether it is appropriate for a 55 year old man to have a 25 year old girlfriend?

[Orac]

3 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

What did she say?

 

The white comments were hers

[RuamRudy]

6 minutes ago, Orac said:

 

The white comments were hers

 

 "She's obsessed with race"

 

That is my favourite, closely followed by

 

"Wet as a scruibber. Awful"

[evadgib]

UKIP are a busted flush, which is all the harder to admit as a B-B-Brexiteer. Having said that I suspect the spooks, Putin or other interested parties have had a hand in this for reasons that will be time-barred for a min of 30 years.

 

I find it hard to believe that an RTR Rupert* would place himself in this position without the above-mentioned 'help' 

 

(*Royal Tank Regiment/Armoured Corps officer. They don't do 'Muppet' as a rule!)

[Briggsy]

3 minutes ago, evadgib said:

UKIP are a busted flush, which is all the harder to admit as a B-B-brexiteer. Having said that I suspect the spooks, Putin or other interested parties have had a hand in this for reasons that will be time-barred for a min of 30 years.

 

I find it hard to believe that an RTR Rupert* would place himself in this position without the above-mentioned 'help' 

 

(Royal Tank Regiment/Armoured Corps officer. They don't do 'Muppet' as a rule!)

I was thinking along the same lines. There have been a disproportionately high number of scandalous revelations about UKIP councillors and senior party members. It appears there is a dirty tricks campaign to derail them which as you say may well involve the intelligence services of one country or another.

[evadgib]

We're now expected to believe that he's given her the sack:

 

UKIP leader Henry Bolton says he has ended his relationship with his girlfriend after she reportedly made racist comments about Meghan Markle.

He said their romance was "obviously quite incompatible" with his role as party leader but he had no intention of resigning.

Jo Marney had sent texts saying black people were ugly and Prince Harry's fiancee would "taint" the Royal Family.

Mr Bolton said it was against UKIP's constitution "to be racist in any way."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-42686932

[FreddieRoyle]

Where do the liberal fascists get off with hounding people because of the actions of somebody the hounded victim knows. It is totally untenable. I do remember a similar issue arose when some right leaning persons called for the deportation of whole families of criminal immigrants, yet the left went berserk over this and cried "how can you punish somebody for actions done by another person" and that was the end of it. Well, almost. Here we have it again, but this time its the liberal elite that are hounding somebody due to actions of somebody he knows. Liberal logic, it's madness.

 

Good luck to UKIP, a brave collection of people that put saving Britain ahead of petty virtue signalling and personal enrichment. We got Brexit thanks to the UKippers, and for that true Brits are eternally grateful.

[FreddieRoyle]

4 hours ago, Orac said:

 

The white comments were hers

thank you for posting this. It is clear this was a complete set-up. Baiting and entrapment. Shame on whoever led Ms Marney into this trap. No shame some people....

[Air Smiles]

6 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

Where do the liberal fascists get off with hounding people because of the actions of somebody the hounded victim knows.

 

 

Where are liberal fascists mentioned in the article?

 

From the article:

Quote

 

The Mail on Sunday published a series of messages....

 

UKIP's Bill Etheridge, a member of the European Parliament, said: "The time has come for Henry Bolton to resign as leader of UKIP. He must go, he must go quickly, he must go as quietly as possible."

 

"It appears to me that the lack of experience in politics from Henry has got the better of him," he said in a video statement, describing the last few months as "hell" for the party.

 

Peter Whittle, UKIP's member of the London Assembly, also criticised the remarks, saying they were "disgraceful".

 

"This person should not just be suspended from @UKIP but expelled altogether," he said on Twitter.

 

 

The Mail on Sunday is a right wing rag and the two people denouncing the comments are from his own, right wing, political party.

 

[Air Smiles]

4 hours ago, Orac said:

 

The white comments were hers

 

 

What about the child abuse comments that were apparently so bad The Telegraph refused to print them?

[dick dasterdly]

2 hours ago, Briggsy said:

I was thinking along the same lines. There have been a disproportionately high number of scandalous revelations about UKIP councillors and senior party members. It appears there is a dirty tricks campaign to derail them which as you say may well involve the intelligence services of one country or another.

Nobody cares much about UKIP now that a referendum was finally given on the remain/leave issue - which is why the party was annihalated in the general election.

[Air Smiles]

3 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Nobody cares much about UKIP now that a referendum was finally given on the remain/leave issue - which is why the party was annihalated in the general election.

 

For all the noise they made, nobody has ever cared about UKIP which is why the party has been annihilated in every general election they took part in.

 

The party leader, Nigel Farage, who shouted loudest about leaving the EU, lost his constituency seat more than a year before the referendum.

[dick dasterdly]

Just now, Air Smiles said:

 

For all the noise they made, nobody has ever cared about UKIP which is why the party has been annihilated in every general election they took part in.

 

The party leader, Nigel Farage, who shouted loudest about leaving the EU, lost his constituency seat more than a year before the referendum.

It really doesn't matter.

 

UKIP won insofar as a referendum was finally given - ending the purpose of the UKIP party.

 

I suspect it will rise again if brexit turns out to be nothing of the sort.

[Briggsy]

13 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Nobody cares much about UKIP now that a referendum was finally given on the remain/leave issue - which is why the party was annihalated in the general election.

Indeed.

Yet is still has 248 local councillors and over a quarter of the UK's MEP's.

In addition, it broadcasts a message considered "dangerous" by some of those that hold power.

 

I think it is still a useful tool to be manipulated by intelligence agencies, British or otherwise.

 

[Air Smiles]

11 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

It really doesn't matter.

 

UKIP won insofar as a referendum was finally given - ending the purpose of the UKIP party.

 

I suspect it will rise again if brexit turns out to be nothing of the sort.

It doesn't matter that 2 UKIP leaders(including farage) in recent time failed to win their own seats or that they currently hold no seats or that they have only ever won 2 seats in their entire history?

 

Unless you mean that UKIP don't matter then we agree.

 

UKIP have never won anything and there is no link between their party and the referendum.  The referendum came about as direct result of tory infighting, David Cameron called the referendum to settle the tory infighting, nothing to do with UKIP lol who have almost zero political equity in the UK.

[Air Smiles]

14 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

....over a quarter of the UK's MEP's.

 

 

Something of an irony that so many UKIP politicians have their snouts in the same EU gravy train they claim to loathe so much.  I see Nigel Farage has been caught with his hand in the EU cookie jar also this week for defrauding his expense account.

 

It's not really surprising that Nigel is calling for a 2nd referendum now he and his chums realises all that free money and power is coming to an end via Brexit.

[dick dasterdly]

28 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

Indeed.

Yet is still has 248 local councillors and over a quarter of the UK's MEP's.

In addition, it broadcasts a message considered "dangerous" by some of those that hold power.

 

I think it is still a useful tool to be manipulated by intelligence agencies, British or otherwise.

 

I always knew the brexit result was due to them damn russians .

[dunroaming]

I had forgotten that UKIP were still a party!  Anyway Mr Bolton has said that he is no longer "romantically" involved with the young lady but he is going to remain as leader of the party.  So very much a case of "dump the broad and grovel to keep the job".  What upstanding people these shower are.   He did say that she was just his mistress and that he still has a wife, the mother of his children, so is totally suitable to be the leader of UKIP  

[dick dasterdly]

Just now, dunroaming said:

I had forgotten that UKIP were still a party!  Anyway Mr Bolton has said that he is no longer "romantically" involved with the young lady but he is going to remain as leader of the party.  So very much a case of "dump the broad and grovel to keep the job".  What upstanding people these shower are.   He did say that she was just his mistress and that he still has a wife, the mother of his children, so is totally suitable to be the leader of UKIP  

Reminds me of Major, but it's irrelevant as UKIP is no longer a factor in UK politics.

 

The vote was finally gained, which I think was pretty much the only interest of UKIP supporters

[dunroaming]

3 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

Reminds me of Major, but it's irrelevant as UKIP is no longer a factor in UK politics.

 

The vote was finally gained, which I think was pretty much the only interest of UKIP supporters

Major?  Hardly a credible comparison, don't remember Edwina posting racist bile?  Anyway the young lady has apologised unreservedly, so that's nice.   But you are right that the purpose of UKIP was just to push for Brexit.  After that Farage jumped ship and now even he thinks that a second referendum is not such a bad idea.  Even said yesterday that it might not be possible to get Brexit through anyway.

[baboon]

7 hours ago, dick dasterdly said:

Nobody cares much about UKIP now that a referendum was finally given on the remain/leave issue - which is why the party was annihalated in the general election.

Yes, but there were a number who changed their votes from the Con party to UKIP. Then there was the disaster of the last election which the Cons should have won by a landslide. I suspect that that filth Murdoch is trying to get disaffected Tories back into the fold so he/they can mount a devastating attack on Labour next time round.

[baboon]

11 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

Is this the wrong forum to question whether it is appropriate for a 55 year old man to have a 25 year old girlfriend?

Yes it is. You are on Thaivisa...

[baboon]

7 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

Where do the liberal fascists get off with hounding people because of the actions of somebody the hounded victim knows. It is totally untenable. I do remember a similar issue arose when some right leaning persons called for the deportation of whole families of criminal immigrants, yet the left went berserk over this and cried "how can you punish somebody for actions done by another person" and that was the end of it. Well, almost. Here we have it again, but this time its the liberal elite that are hounding somebody due to actions of somebody he knows. Liberal logic, it's madness.

 

Good luck to UKIP, a brave collection of people that put saving Britain ahead of petty virtue signalling and personal enrichment. We got Brexit thanks to the UKippers, and for that true Brits are eternally grateful.

"Where do the liberal fascists get off with hounding people because of the actions of somebody the hounded victim knows. It is totally untenable. I do remember a similar...."

Blah blah. So Murdoch and his media are now "liberal fascists"? Did you actually check who was saying what or simply jump to the hand-me-down slogans provided to you, courtesy of the same good folk you are now denigrating? 

[RuamRudy]

7 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

Good luck to UKIP, a brave collection of people that put saving Britain ahead of petty virtue signalling and personal enrichment. We got Brexit thanks to the UKippers, and for that true Brits are eternally grateful.

Are the 48% who did not want Brexit fake Brits? Asking for... well lots of people. 

[dunroaming]

I don't know what a true Brit means.  I know my friend Mr Patel voted for UKIP and so did Errol the Rastafarian who lives down the road.  I guess they must be the true brits Freddie was referring to.