UKIP leader Henry Bolton arrives at the ICC in Birmingham as the UKIP EGM decide his future as leader.

Henry Bolton has stepped down as leader of UKIP just five months after being elected leader, after members overwhelmingly voted to remove him.

More than 1,500 UKIP members congregated in Birmingham on Saturday for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to decide his fate, after a controversy-strewn few weeks in which he was called on to defend offensive messages sent by his girlfriend about Meghan Markle, the fiancée of Prince Harry.

Out of 1,300 ballot papers, 857 were cast in favour of a motion of no confidence, a majority of 67%. The party's National Executive met immediately after the vote and after about 15 minutes announced that Gerard Batten would be the interim leader.

Outgoing party chairman Paul Oakden told delegates to remain faithful to the party regardless of the decision. </s> Henry Bolton has been ousted as Ukip leader by members after threatening to sue the party at an Extraordinary General Meeting.

Bolton, who called for the meeting after being given a vote of no confidence by party chiefs in January, lost a ballot of members with 63% backing his sacking.

The former soldier was hoping he could win the support of Ukip members at the meeting in Birmingham, but alienated much of the crowd with a threat to sue the party if he lost during his final speech on Saturday afternoon.

In an earlier address to the around 1,400 members, Bolton claimed his opponents were “the enemy within” the party.

But 876 of the 1406 votes cast were in favour of removing Bolton.

Party veteran Gerard Batten, a founder of Ukip, was announced as the interim leader, while a new leadership election will be held within 90 days. </s> LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) named a new leader on Saturday as it seeks to draw a line under recent turmoil.

UKIP was influential under former leader Nigel Farage in bringing about a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union in 2016, but has struggled to maintain its relevance since the country voted to leave the bloc.

UKIP said the appointment of Gerard Batten as leader was uncontested. Batten, a member of the European Parliament for London and the party’s former Brexit spokesman, had been serving as interim leader.

In February, party members voted to remove Henry Bolton as leader after less than five months in charge after a scandal about racist comments made by his lover. Bolton had been UKIP’s fourth leader in a year. </s> UKIP members have voted to sack leader Henry Bolton after controversy over racist messages sent by his partner.

The former army officer's fate was decided after 63% voted to back a no confidence motion at an extraordinary general meeting in Birmingham.

He had faced calls to quit after it emerged his partner Jo Marney sent racist messages about Meghan Markle.

Gerard Batten will take over as interim leader and there will be a leadership election within 90 days.

Following the vote, Mr Bolton, who had been in the job for less than six months, said he had "not finished in politics yet".

He was elected in September in the wake of UKIP's disastrous performance in last year's general election.

The party's national executive committee expressed no confidence in him last month, triggering the ballot.

Outgoing chairman Paul Oakden said: "Henry Bolton has been removed by the democratic decision of the membership".

Mr Bolton, who lost the no confidence motion by 867 votes to 500, was the party's fourth leader in 18 months.

He had replaced Paul Nuttall, who quit after the general election - which saw UKIP's vote share shrink to 1.8% from 12.6% in 2015. </s> Henry Bolton has been ousted as Ukip leader after party members backed a motion of no confidence in him.

Henry Bolton has been ousted as Ukip leader after party members backed a motion of no confidence in him.

At a crisis meeting in Birmingham, activists voted by 867 to 500 to express their lack of faith in his ability to lead the party.

The move now leaves the party facing a further period of uncertainty, with Mr Bolton forced out after only being elected in September last year. Mr Bolton had attempted to cling on to the leadership despite a no confidence vote by the ruling national executive committee (NEC) and a revolt by several senior figures in the party in protest at his relationship with model Jo Marney.

Mr Bolton said he still has "strong affections" for his former girlfriend who sent offensive messages about Meghan Markle, and compared the scrutiny of his private life to that faced by Diana, Princess of Wales. Ukip will face a fresh leadership election within 90 days after Mr Bolton lost the no confidence motion.

Outgoing chairman Paul Oakden said: "Henry Bolton has been removed by the democratic decision of the membership". Gerard Batten will take over as Ukip's interim leader, the party announced.

Speculation is mounting that Mr Bolton's exit could pave the way for the return of former leader Nigel Farage. Senior Ukip figure Suzanne Evans told the Press Association ahead of the vote that it was "crunch time" for the party and Mr Farage should again take the helm.

The pro-Brexit party has lurched from crisis to crisis since Mr Farage relinquished power following the 2016 referendum, with a succession of leading party figures failing to keep a grip on the leadership.

Mr Bolton earlier said he thought "it's going to be very difficult for the party to survive" another round of leadership turmoil.

He had also suggested he would not rule out running for the top job again in future. The cash-strapped party faces a separate series of challenges, including the prospect of a hefty legal bill over a defamation action brought by Rotherham's three Labour MPs against MEP Jane Collins. </s> • Members voted to get rid of Bolton at a UKIP meet-up in Birmingham on Saturday.
• Bolton was under pressure to quit over racist text messages his ex-girlfriend sent about Megan Markle.
• Bolton leaves the post after just 142 days in charge. Gerard Batten has taken over as interim leader.
• The party is also teetering towards financial ruin.

LONDON – Henry Bolton has been sacked as UKIP leader after just 142 days in charge.

The party’s chairman, Paul Oakden, announced shortly before 17:00 (GMT) today that members had voted to support the UKIP National Executive Committee’s no-confidence vote against Bolton.

The UKIP NEC voted to remove Bolton as the party’s leader in December, following the revelation that his then-girlfriend, Jo Marney, sent racist text messages about Megan Markle, Prince Harry’s fiancé.

The texts said Markle would “taint” the Royal Family and had a “tiny brain.” Marney also described Markle as a “negro” and said black people are ugly.

Bolton initially distanced himself from Marney’s comments and claimed to have ended their relationship.

However, the pair were spotted dining together in central London just days later, and Bolton has since refused to rule out getting back together with the 25-year-old.

More than half of Bolton’s top team quit in an effort to force him to resign over the scandal, but he refused– instead pledging to fight on as party leader and implement sweeping changes to UKIP’s constitution.

Party members held an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in Birmingham today, where they decided to remove Bolton from the position he has held since just September.

Here is how UKIP members voted:

Gerard Batten, the party’s Brexit spokesperson, has taken over as interim leader. Batten, an MEP for London, once suggested the Nazis created the “basic plan” for the European Union. He is the party’s seventh leader within the space of just two years.

This is how Marney, a 25-year old model, reacted to Bolton’s sacking:

Former UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, had come out in support of Bolton earlier this week.

Farage, who was UKIP leader from 2006 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016, urged the party membership to throw its weight behind Bolton in an interview with The Telegraph.

“I believe it would be better to allow Henry Bolton, with all his faults, the chance to turn UKIP into an electoral machine again,” Farage said.

“The alternative is for the party to carry on down the path of self-destruction into irrelevance.”

UKIP latest leadership drama comes as the party teeters towards a financial crisis.

A judge ruled on Thursday that the party must contribute towards legal fees totalling £660,000 after one of its MEPs was found guilty of defamation. The Guardian estimates UKIP will be forced to pay at least £200,000.

Last month, UKIP treasurer John Bickley admitted that the party had been “living hand to mouth since 2015.” Bolton was not paid for his role as leader and the party has had to make a number of cutbacks across its operations.

The party’s former head of communications, Gawain Towler, was asked to take a significant pay cut before he quit earlier this month after 13 years in the role, a senior UKIP source told Business Insider.

A source close to the party recently told BI the party’s existence is under threat, saying “they’re f****d.” </s> Ukip's new leader announced he intends to resign in 12 months as he was installed in the post after an uncontested election.

Gerard Batten said he will spend the next year trying to restore the party's fortunes after a tumultuous period that has seen it implode with bitter infighting and stretched by financial struggles.

The London MEP warned that the Eurosceptic party needs to get "back into the political fight" as the local elections in England approach.

Mr Batten said: "As I said at the start of the contest, if the election were to be uncontested, I would hold office for 12 months.

"Therefore, I intend to resign on 13th April 2019 so that a full leadership contest may take place. By then I will have decided if I wish to contest that election or not.

"For the next 12 months, I will concentrate on doing all I can to restore the party's fortunes. A very good start has been made and the party is now on a sound financial footing."

Mr Batten became interim leader after predecessor Henry Bolton was ousted in February.
• Henry Bolton sacked as Ukip leader after party backs no confidence vote

Mr Bolton was kicked out of the job over his relationship with controversial model Jo Marney, who sent offensive messages about Meghan Markle.

After taking the helm, Mr Batten had to appeal to Ukip members for funds after the party faced possible insolvency when it was landed with a £175,000 legal bill from a libel case lost by its MEP Jane Collins.

Mr Batten said: "My role as interim leader was to ensure the immediate survival of the party. That has been done. However, we must move on and progress.

"My aim for the next 12 months as Ukip Leader is to restore the party; financially, organisationally and politically.

"I will not make any extravagant promises. We are essentially a volunteer organisation and we have a difficult task ahead; one which will require a lot of commitment and work. But Ukip is needed now as much as ever." </s> UKIP has confirmed it has a new leader - its fifth since Nigel Farage stepped down in late 2016.

Gerard Batten, who ran unopposed in the election to replace Henry Bolton, announced he had taken over the role officially on Saturday.

Mr Bolton, 55, was ousted from the leadership following a scandal over his affair with 25-year-old model Jo Marney.

Mr Batten, who is also UKIP's MEP for London, said he would now concentrate on restoring the "party's fortunes" after it saw its vote share in the polls slip from a high of more than 25% in the European elections in 2014 to less than 2% in 2017.

Image: There have been five leaders since Nigel Farage stepped down in 2016

He also pledged to resign after 12 months to allow a full leadership election to take place.

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He said in a statement: "I received the backing of all three UKIP Lords, our major donors, our MEPs, our London and Welsh Assembly Members, and party activists and members from all over the UK.

"I would like to thank everyone for their support, and am grateful for the trust and confidence placed in me.

"For the next twelve months, I will concentrate on doing all I can to restore the party's fortunes. A very good start has been made and the party is now on a sound financial footing.

Image: Paul Nuttall lasted seven months before he quit after the General Election

"However, we need to get UKIP back into the political fight. We have made a very good start with the 554 UKIP candidates standing in the English local elections.

"Don't pay any attention to our enemies who are crowing that our candidates numbers are 75% down on what they were last time.

"The truth is that instead of 554 candidates, the number would have been zero if you had not all backed me from the 17 April onwards and the party had disintegrated. Instead, let's celebrate the 554 and help them all we can.

"My role as Interim Leader was to ensure the immediate survival of the party. That has been done. However, we must move on and progress."

Image: Henry Bolton was ousted after he had an affair

UKIP lost control of its only major council in February when the party's local leader resigned.

Before he became the official leader, Mr Batten was forced to defend his description of Islam as a "death cult".

Diane James was the first to replace Mr Farage after a vote but, before taking up the role, she announced she would not be doing so as she claimed she did not have the authority.

Paul Nuttall followed Ms James but lasted seven months before he resigned when he failed to win a seat in the General Election.

Steve Crowther was acting leader until Mr Bolton was elected. </s> UKIP leader Henry Bolton has been sacked after losing a no confidence motion at an extraordinary general meeting of party members.

Members backed the motion by 867 votes to 500 at the EGM in Birmingham on Saturday, giving him a 37% share.

Mr Bolton - who told Sky News he was "quietly confident" ahead of the meeting - had been clinging on to the leadership after a revolt by several senior party figures over his relationship with model Jo Marney.

He admitted he still had "strong affections" for the 25-year-old, who resigned from the party following allegations she had sent racist text messages about Prince Harry's fiancee Meghan Markle.

Despite losing the motion, Mr Bolton is still eligible to stand again in the forthcoming leadership contest, which will be held within the next 90 days.

When asked by Sky News whether he would run, Mr Bolton said: "I don't know yet. I've just spoken to my team, we've had a quick batting around of the different options. I'm not ruling out any option at the moment."

He said he was "slightly disappointed" to have lost the no confidence vote, but that he was "not finished with politics".

Responding to the possibility of Mr Bolton re-running, UKIP's leader in Wales, Neil Hamilton, told Sky News: "He could stand again, he's no stranger to humiliation."

He added that Mr Bolton would be "exceptionally foolish" to even remain a party member, and predicted a "swathe of members coming back to UKIP" as a result of his departure.

The party's national executive committee (NEC), which triggered the no confidence vote, has chosen Gerard Batten as interim leader.

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"I hope that we'll have a period of stability and that Gerard will be allowed to remain in post as interim leader for an extended period of time," Mr Hamilton said.

"We still have to get a clean Brexit. The Government is bungling that by its own actions."

Party chairman Paul Oakden echoed Mr Hamilton's comments regarding the party's future, telling members at the meeting on Saturday to "keep the faith".

"We matter now more than we ever have," he said.

:: Farage: UKIP could be 'worthless' in 18 months

Mr Bolton had received the backing of Nigel Farage before the vote, with the former leader fearing another leadership contest would risk the party's "self-destruction".

Writing in the Daily Telegraph on Friday, Mr Farage said: "I believe it would be better to allow Mr Bolton, with all his faults, the chance to turn UKIP into an electoral machine again.

"The alternative is for the party to carry down the path of self-destruction into irrelevance.

"It may be too late to save UKIP, but you never know."

Whoever replaces Mr Bolton full-time will be UKIP's 10th permanent leader.

The bookies' favourite is East of England MEP Tim Aker, followed by London Assembly member David Kurten and - despite having insisted he will not return again - Mr Farage.

Interim leader Mr Batten - who told Mr Bolton to "get on with the rest of your life" following the vote - has not ruled out standing for the leadership on a permanent basis.

Mr Bolton was only elected in September, following the party's disastrous result at last summer's General Election under Paul Nuttall.

:: Farage: It's reform or die for UKIP
UK Independence Party (UKIP) members vote to remove Henry Bolton as leader amid controversy over his private life and leadership. Gerard Batten becomes interim leader.