UKIP leader Henry Bolton is battling to stay in the top job as party officials investigate him after he dumped his wife for a 25 year-old former glamour model.
The ex Army officer has faced a major backlash among party members after he left his wife Tatiana Smurova, 42 – mother of his two young children – for Jo Marney.
Mr Bolton, 54, has insisted he never cheated on wife but the scandal has sparked concern and party officials met on Monday night to discuss his future.
He told fellow Ukippers he will not resign as he is ‘convinced another leadership contest would ‘cripple the party’.
Party officials will hold a special NEC meeting in eight days time which is expected to decide his fate.
Mr Bolton has begun a relationship with Jo Marney, left, leaving wife Tatiana Smurova, pictured right with her daughter Victoria, angry that he did not spend Christmas with his children
Henry Bolton hit the headlines last week when it emerged he left his wife Tatiana Smurova – mother of his small two children – over Christmas to be with Jo Marney, who he is pictured with
Ukip has raced through leaders since Nigel Farage quit from the helm, with Mr Bolton becoming the party’s fourth chief in just over a year when he was elected in September.
And bookmaker Coral slashed the odds of Mr Farage making a dramatic return as leader to just 3-1 amid the latest episode of party turmoil.
In a letter to members, party chairman Paul Oakden said the National Executive Committee ruling body had agreed to discuss the issue at a special meeting in 10 days.
He wrote: ‘Both the committee and the Leader understand the strength of feeling on this coverage and are keen to work collectively in finding a resolution that best protects the future prospects of UKIP.
‘Due to the short time between the publishing of these reports and our meeting today, the committee agreed that it was not in a position to full discuss all the evidence and appropriately agree on a way forward.
‘Further investigation of these matters is required.’
Mr Bolton’s Russian-born wife has hit out at her husband for leaving her and their children over Christmas.
She has said: ‘What kind of person runs away to sleep with another woman, leaving their two small children over Christmas?’
Jo Marney has begun a relationship with Mr Bolton, who insists it only began after he had split from his wife and mother of his two children
UKIP-supporting glamour model Jo Marney’s relationship with the party leader has prompted questions from activists
Ms Marney, who has posed in topless modelling shoots, has expressed toxic political views online, insisting a decision to offer Grenfell victims residency was ‘disgusting’.
In a Facebook post beneath a news article, she wrote: ‘That entire tower was a nest of illegal immigrants of all varieties.
‘Thats [sic] why they can’t Identify most of them. Meanwhile, British families wait on the Council Housing list for years.’
When challenged about their relationship on Facebook, Ms Marney insisted: ‘He was in an unhappy marriage and was estranged from his wife. He started dating me and we found that we made each other happy. What’s your issue?’
When further challenged by a critic, she hit back: ‘So in your world, no one is allowed to split from their partner? Or is this all because I am young and good looking?’
Henry Bolton is pictured with Jo Marney, leaving her family home in Maidstone, Kent. She has defended their relationship saying that they deserve to be happy