Henry Bolton: Ex-girlfriend was not a quick leg over
2 min read
The beleaguered leader of Ukip has insisted his relationship with a 25-year-old glamour model is not just about sex and that there are “feelings on both sides”.
In an interview with the Times, Mr Bolton again did not rule out reuniting with Jo Marney and defended his decision to leave his third wife and two young children for her.
Mr Bolton admitted he spoke to his ex-girlfriend “most nights” and said he was worried about “what the consequences might be” for Ms Marney if he left her life completely.
He also criticised those who focused on their age gap and made it clear this was significant relationship for him: "Everybody assumes that she’s just a quick leg-over or something. There are real feelings there on both sides.”
He admitted he missed his two young children with his Russian wife Tatiana “terribly”.
“I spoke to them last night. One is just 20 months and the other is four and I miss them terribly. They’re the light of my life. I could almost get choked up over that.”
Mr Bolton broke up with Ms Marney after a national newspaper published racist text messages she had sent, in which she claimed Prince Harry’s fiancé would “taint” the royal family because she was black.
While the former army officer admitted to being “shocked” at the messages, he defended his ex-girlfriend as young and foolish“I think on that, all I’m going to say is that a lot of young people say things on social media these days that don’t necessarily — which is strange for our generation — reflect what they think.”
However, he maintained he had left Ms Marney for the good of Ukip and to focus on Brexit.
Mr Bolton said he was concerned the country was headed for Brexit in all name only, and wanted the party to focus on the nature of Brexit, not just home affairs.
“The military have an expression: selection and maintenance of the aim. And the aim is independence from the European Union and making sure that we come out of the European Union on a trajectory that will take us to a prosperous, secure and optimistic future.”
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