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Henry Bolton (British politician)

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Henry David Bolton OBE (born 2 March 1963) is a former British politician who was the leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 29 September 2017 to 17 February 2018. He served in the British Army, attaining the rank of lance corporal, and went on to reach the rank of captain following his transfer to the Territorial Army from the Regular Army. Bolton has also served as a police officer.

Henry Bolton
OBE
Bolton speaking at Save Our Services campaign in London in 2017
Leader of the UK Independence Party
In office
29 September 2017 – 17 February 2018
DeputyMargot Parker
Preceded byPaul Nuttall
Succeeded byGerard Batten
UKIP Spokesperson for Defence
In office
15 January 2018 – 17 February 2018
Preceded byBill Etheridge
Succeeded byRay Finch
Personal details
Born
Henry David Bolton

(1963-03-02) 2 March 1963 (age 61)
Nairobi, Kenya Colony
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations		Our Nation (2018–2019)
UK Independence Party (2014–2018)
Liberal Democrats (1999–2014)
Spouses
  • Karin Dohn
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1984; div. 1987)​
  • Lidia Gouniakova
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2002; div. 2007)​
  • Tatiana Smurova
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2006; div. 2018)​
Children3
EducationRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst - TA commissioning course (2 weeks)
Military career
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1979–2000
RankCaptain
Service number540249
AwardsOBE
NATO Bosnia Campaign Medal
United Nations Kosovo Mission Medal
Civilian Afghanistan Service Medal

Bolton became UKIP leader after winning the party's 2017 leadership election, and gave himself the additional role of Defence spokesman in January 2018. Bolton was removed as party leader in February 2018, following his relationship with a party member, and an ensuing controversy caused over racist comments she had made to a friend about Prince Harry's fiancée, Meghan Markle. Bolton's departure triggered UKIP's fourth leadership election in eighteen months. He subsequently announced plans to establish a new political party, to be called OneNation, that would adopt a Eurosceptic stance like UKIP. The party, under the name Our Nation, was registered with the Electoral Commission on 31 October 2018, but de-registered on 4 November 2019.

Early life and career

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Bolton was born in Nairobi, British Kenya, on 2 March 1963. He served in the Royal Hussars from 1979 to 1990, rising to the rank of lance-corporal. After leaving the regular army in 1990, for eight years he was a police constable in the Thames Valley Police, during which time he received an award for outstanding bravery.[1]

While serving in the police, Bolton joined the part-time Territorial Army, and in 1992, gained a commission in its Wessex Regiment.[2] Two years later, he was promoted to captain.[3] Following the disbanding of the Wessex Regiment, Bolton served part-time in the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment and the Royal Rifle Volunteers, before leaving the Territorial Army in 2000.[4]

He left the Thames Valley Police in 1998 to take on overseas security and policing roles, including work for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in hostile environments, including Afghanistan.[1]

Bolton was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2013 New Year Honours "for services to international security and stabilisation" following his role as a Stabilisation Team Leader for the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.[5][6]

Early political career

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Bolton stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate at the 2005 general election for the seat of Runnymede and Weybridge in Surrey, but in 2014 joined the UK Independence Party (UKIP), saying that he felt more comfortable in a party that said what it thought.[1] In 2015, he stood as a UKIP candidate for Shepway District Council.[7]

Bolton was the UKIP candidate in the 2016 election for Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, finishing in second place to the Conservative candidate Matthew Scott.[8]

In 2017, Bolton was vice chairman of the Remembrance Line Association heritage group and a founding member of the Folkestone Heritage, Arts and Tourism Forum.[9]

Leader of UKIP

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In July 2017, Bolton declared that he was standing in UKIP's forthcoming leadership election.[10] He began as a relative unknown in a field of eleven candidates; however, his standing improved as other candidates withdrew, and he received the endorsements of four of the party's MEPs: James Carver, Jill Seymour, Mike Hookem and Ray Finch.[11] The former UKIP leader Nigel Farage had acted as his political referee to stand for the leadership.[12]

In August 2017, Bolton challenged the decision to allow Anne Marie Waters to stand as party leader.[13] He said her candidacy was in violation of the party's rules of procedure as she was not considered to be 'in good standing' due to previous exclusions for elections.[14] He withdrew the challenge when faced with the possibility that it could lead to counter-suits against the party.[15] Subsequently, he was quoted by the press as saying that UKIP was in danger of becoming the "UK Nazi party" if the wrong candidate were elected as leader.[16]

Later in his leadership campaign, Bolton spoke of Britain's separation from the EU, saying that UKIP has "a moral responsibility to make sure Brexit is a success for everybody".[17]

Following his victory, on 28 September, Bolton said "Brexit is our core task", while separately declaring Islam a "concern",[18] although he believed an anti-Islam agenda would offer UKIP little gain.[19] In recognition of his new role, in October 2017 he was placed at Number 86 in 'The Top 100 Most Influential People on the Right' by commentator Iain Dale.[20]

Loss of UKIP leadership

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On 4 January 2018, it was reported that Bolton had left his wife and embarked on a relationship with Jo Marney, a model and party member nearly thirty years his junior. As a consequence, Bolton faced demands from members of UKIP that he stand down as leader.[21][22] On 14 January it was reported that Marney had been suspended from UKIP following allegations that she had sent a series of SMS messages containing racist comments about Prince Harry's fiancée, Meghan Markle.[23] Her comments also targeted immigrants and Grenfell Tower families.[24] The following day, Bolton announced he had ended his relationship with Marney,[25] but on 18 January the Evening Standard reported that the two continued to be seen in each other's company.[26] Responding to these reports, Bolton suggested that the controversy would "fade away".[27]

On 19 January 2018, MEP Jonathan Arnott announced his resignation from UKIP.[28] In his resignation letter, he stated that he had lost confidence in Bolton, who he felt was "not the right person for the job" – but thought no better of those "jockeying" for position in the party.[28] On 21 January, the UKIP National Executive Committee (NEC) delivered a vote of no confidence in Bolton; only Bolton voted against the motion.[29] Bolton had made it clear earlier that day that he would not resign if the vote went against him, because he felt another leadership election would destroy the party. Consequently, at the emergency meeting of UKIP's NEC, it was decided that party members would be balloted on whether Bolton should be removed from office, as the NEC did not itself have the power to dismiss the leader.[29] On 22 January, Margot Parker resigned as deputy leader, claiming Bolton had left the party in "limbo". Immigration spokesman John Bickley, Trade and Industry spokesman William Dartmouth and other spokesmen resigned on the same day. Bolton responded that he would not quit as leader, and it was "time to drain the swamp" of the malcontents. He looked on the UKIP national executive as "not fit for purpose" and in need of reform. UKIP education spokesman David Kurten commented that Bolton had no chance of surviving a vote of party members.[30]

At an extraordinary general meeting held in Birmingham on 17 February, 63% backed a motion of no confidence in Bolton, and he was removed as UKIP leader, a decision that triggered UKIP's fourth leadership election in eighteen months.[31] Acting UKIP leader Gerard Batten subsequently suggested that Bolton had left the party.[32]

On 22 February 2018, Bolton and Marney appeared as guests on an edition of the ITV daytime magazine programme This Morning where Bolton argued that Marney's Grenfell Tower comments had been taken out of context and that it was important to have a debate about illegal immigration.[33]

Our Nation

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On 6 March 2018, Bolton announced his intention to establish a new political party, OneNation, that would "campaign unceasingly for our full independence from the EU" and that would "mirror some of the changes that I sought to bring to UKIP".[34] The registration application for OneNation was rejected by the Electoral Commission as "likely to mislead voters",[35] its name being the same as an existing Islamic relief charity.[36] Our Nation was registered with the Electoral Commission on 31 October 2018.[37] Bolton was listed as leader, with Ben Glayzer as nominating officer and Hodgson Birkby as treasurer. The registered address was a suite in the Grand Hotel, Folkestone,[37] where Bolton was a permanent resident. Party membership was £27.50 a year, or £750 for "John Bull membership" which included drinks with the leader and a twice-yearly John Bull Newsletter.[38][a] The party was de-registered on 4 November 2019.[40]

2019 general election

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Bolton contested the 2019 general election in Folkestone and Hythe as an independent, after the Brexit Party decided not to contest the seat.[41] He received 576 votes (1%).[42]

Political views

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Bolton has said that the effectiveness of policies is more important than whether they are from the left or the right.[43] As a Liberal Democrat he said that being tough on issues of law and order was part of the party's principles.[44] At the launch of his campaign to be UKIP leader, Bolton highlighted his opposition to the practice of female genital mutilation.[45]

Author

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In September 2019, Bolton’s book What a State! was published.[46] It explores what he sees as failures in modern British political leadership, the inadequacies of MPs, challenges of political leadership, Brexit, populism, identity politics, the meeting of equal representation and equal opportunities, and the institutional culture of the civil service. A preface is by Lembit Öpik. A review in The New European commented that the book quoted from Sophocles, Shakespeare, and Einstein, but that nothing was as good as Jo Marney's explanation for claiming she felt like Anne Frank.[47]

Personal life

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Bolton’s first marriage was to Karin Dohn, a Danish national. They had one daughter, born in 1985.[21] That marriage ended in divorce, and Bolton married secondly the Russian-born Lidia Gouniakova. In 2018, Gouniakova said Bolton had left her for Tatiana Smurova, another Russian, who became his third wife.[48][better source needed] She was known as Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, and they had two children together. In May 2016, Smurova-Bolton gave birth to their second child on a train at St Pancras railway station.[49] The couple separated at Christmas 2017, and their divorce took place in 2018.[21]

Bolton began a relationship with Jo Marney after meeting her shortly before Christmas 2017, and spent Christmas with her, after leaving his wife and two small children.[50] He said that he ended the relationship with Marney after details of her SMS message comments, in which she made overtly racist comments against Meghan Markle, the then fiancée and now wife of Prince Harry, came to light, though the two continued to see each other.[51] Bolton said he had been unaware of Marney's comments.[24] However, during their This Morning appearance following his resignation, Bolton and Marney confirmed their relationship had ended while he sought to keep his office, but that it had since been rekindled.[52] Later, he said that the relationship had never actually ended.[53] It was reported in August 2020 that Bolton and Marney had separated.[54]

Notes

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  1. ^ Our Nation was also the name of an earlier, unrelated UK far-right party founded by Martin Webster in 1983.[39]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Francis, Paul (23 November 2015). "Ukip chooses former army and police officer Henry Bolton as its crime commissioner candidate for next May's election". KentOnline. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  2. ^ "No. 53060". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 September 1992. p. 16263.
  3. ^ "No. 53940". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 January 1995. p. 1369.
  4. ^ "No. 55842". The London Gazette (Supplement). 9 May 2000. p. 5068.
    - "No. 55935". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 August 2000. p. 8749.
  5. ^ "No. 60367". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2012. p. 25.
  6. ^ Durham, University. "IBRU Research". Durham University. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  7. ^ Lennon, Sam (9 May 2015). "Shepway District Council results". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Kent PCC election: Conservative Matthew Scott wins". BBC News. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  9. ^ Pyman, Tom (19 September 2017). "Ukip leadership hopeful Henry Bolton clashes with council leader Chris Wells over Manston airport". Kent News. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
    - Leclere, Matt (20 November 2013). "Proposals to close Folkestone harbour branch line by Network Rail "makes no difference" to Remembrance Line Association aspirations for train service". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  10. ^ Francis, Paul (19 July 2017). "Henry Bolton confirms he will stand to become the next leader of Ukip". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  11. ^ Powell, Tom (4 August 2017). "Revealed: the 11 candidates vying to become next Ukip leader". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 5 August 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
    - Francis, Paul (22 August 2017). "Odds shorten on Henry Bolton to replace Paul Nuttall as Ukip leader". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
    - Andrews, Mark (3 September 2017). "MEP backs ex-soldier for Ukip leadership". Shropshire Star. Archived from the original on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
    - Henry Bolton (31 August 2017). "Thank you @mikehookemmep for endorsing me in my bid to become the Leader of #UKIP". Twitter.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
    - Henry Bolton (31 August 2017). "#UKIP MEP @raymondfinch has endorsed me in my bid to become the Leader of UKIP. Thank you Ray!". Twitter.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  12. ^ Francis, Paul (6 September 2017). "Odds narrow on Henry Bolton becoming next Ukip leader making him third favourite behind Peter Whittel and Anne Marie Waters". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  13. ^ Taylor, Jeff (25 August 2017). "Henry Bolton Challenges UKIP Decision to Allow Anne-Marie Waters to Stand as a Party Leadership Candidate". The Economic Voice. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  14. ^ McKinney, Conor James (29 August 2017). "Irish-born candidate to lead Ukip rejects 'neo-fascist' label". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  15. ^ Bennett, Owen (28 August 2017). "Why Even Ukip-ers Want Rid Of Their Anti-Islam Leadership Candidate". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  16. ^ Walker, Peter (11 September 2017). "Ukip risks becoming 'UK Nazi party' if it selects wrong leader". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  17. ^ Pyman, Tom (21 September 2017). "Henry Bolton: Ukip has 'a moral duty to deliver successful Brexit'". Kent News. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  18. ^ "The UK Independence Party elects a former Liberal Democrat candidate as its new leader". The Economist. 29 September 2017. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  19. ^ "After failing to take over UKIP, the far right is at bay". The Economist. 5 October 2017. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017.
  20. ^ Dale, Iain (2 October 2017). "The Top 100 Most Influential People On The Right: Iain Dale's 2017 List". LBC. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
  21. ^ a b c Walter, Stephen (January 2018). "Ukip leader Henry Bolton starts new relationship with model in her twenties". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
    - "UKIP leader Henry Bolton in relationship with 25-year-old model". BBC News. 4 January 2018. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  22. ^ Wheeler, Caroline (7 January 2018). "Ukip leader told to quit over affair with model". Sunday Times. p. 8.
  23. ^ "UKIP suspends leader's girlfriend after Meghan Markle texts". BBC News. 14 January 2018. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
    - "Girlfriend of Ukip leader suspended after 'racist' Meghan Markle remarks". Sunday Telegraph. 14 January 2018. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  24. ^ a b Walker, Peter (15 January 2018). "Ukip leader's future uncertain despite splitting from girlfriend". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  25. ^ Minelle, Bethany (15 January 2018). "UKIP leader Henry Bolton ends relationship with Jo Marney over Meghan Markle race row". Sky News. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  26. ^ "Ukip leader insists he is estranged from girlfriend despite photos of them together". London Evening Standard. 18 January 2018. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
    - "Henry Bolton, Jo Marney Spotted Together Amid Meghan Markle Racist Comments". 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  27. ^ "Ukip's Henry Bolton seen canoodling with Jo Marney – Kaplan Herald". kaplanherald.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
    - "Henry Bolton Claims Ex's Texts Were Doctored As He's Spotted Having Intimate Dinner Just Days After Claiming Romance Is Over". Huffington Post UK. 17 January 2018. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  28. ^ a b "UKIP loses another MEP as Jonathan Arnott quits party". BBC News. BBC. 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018. Jonathan Arnott, MEP for the North East of England, said he had lost confidence in Mr Bolton but thought no better of those "jockeying" to replace him. UKIP, he added, had "shifted" its stance on religious and cultural issues to a degree he could not support.
  29. ^ a b "UKIP leader given vote of 'no confidence'". BBC News. 21 January 2018. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  30. ^ "Defiant UKIP leader Henry Bolton aims to 'drain the swamp'". BBC News. 22 January 2018. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  31. ^ "UKIP members vote to sack embattled leader Henry Bolton". BBC News. BBC. 17 February 2018. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
    - Cowburn, Ashley (17 February 2018). "Ukip sacks Henry Bolton as leader in wake of racism row to spark fourth leadership contest in 18 months". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  32. ^ "Ex-UKIP leader Henry Bolton and Jo Marney: We're not racists". BBC News. BBC. 22 February 2018. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  33. ^ "Ex-UKIP boss and lover: We're not racists". BBC News. BBC. 22 February 2018. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  34. ^ "Ousted UKIP leader Henry Bolton 'to set up new party'". BBC News. BBC. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  35. ^ "2018 party registration decisions" (PDF). Electoral Commission. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  36. ^ "Ex-UKIP leader Bolton 'can't register new party due to name clash with Islamic charity'". Sky News. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  37. ^ a b Registration summary, Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  38. ^ "Nuts and Bolton", Private Eye no. 1484, 20 November 2018, p 12.
  39. ^ Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations, Pinter (2000) p 192
  40. ^ "View registration". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
  41. ^ "General election 2019: Henry Bolton to stand as independent in Folkestone & Hythe", BBC News, 14 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  42. ^ "General election 2019: Folkestone & Hythe constituency result", BBC News, 13 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  43. ^ Francis, Paul (19 July 2017). "Henry Bolton confirms he will stand to become the next leader of Ukip". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  44. ^ "Being tough on law and order is part of Liberal Democrat principles". getSURREY. 21 April 2005. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  45. ^ Perkins, Eleanor (12 August 2017). "Henry Bolton launches campaign to become the next leader of Ukip in Dover". Kent Online. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  46. ^ Bolton, Henry (18 September 2019). What a State!. Wise Walrus Publishing. ASIN 1916230504 ISBN 978-1916230507.
  47. ^ Steve Anglesey, "The MP, the convict and a question of character", The New European, 14 February 2020, accessed 2 July 2021; Jo Marney: "I didn't mean I was a Jewish girl that was going to be captured by the Nazis. I just couldn't go outside, or near windows".
  48. ^ "He sent me loving text and then betrayed me, says Ukip leader's wife". Metro. DMG Media. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  49. ^ Proto, Laura (16 May 2016). "Woman gives birth on Southeastern train arriving at St Pancras... but calls her daughter Victoria". London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  50. ^ Walter, Stephen (21 January 2018). "Ukip leader Henry Bolton starts new relationship with model in her twenties". Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  51. ^ "Ukip leader ends relationship with girlfriend after claims she made racist Meghan Markle comments". The Independent. 15 January 2018. Archived from the original on 15 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  52. ^ Walker, Peter; Grierson, Jamie (22 February 2018). "Girlfriend of ex-Ukip leader defends Grenfell immigrants remark". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  53. ^ Peter Walker, "Former Ukip leader Henry Bolton still in relationship with Jo Marney", The Guardian], 20 February 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  54. ^ Foster, Alistair; Cockerham, Sophie (23 August 2020) "The party is over for scandal-hit Ukip lovers as Jo Marney reveals her relationship with Henry Bolton has fizzled out", Thurrock Mail
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the UK Independence Party
2017–2018 		Succeeded by
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