UKIP leader Henry Bolton has been ousted following a party vote at the Birmingham NEC today (February 17)
The sacking was in response to racist messages posted by ex-girlfriend Jo Marney.
The vote was 867 to 500.
Gerard Batten will take over as interim leader.
There will be yet another leadership election within 90 days to find the fifth person to head up the party.
Henry Bolton had only been in post since September 29.
Prior to him Paul Nuttall led the party between November 2016 and June 2017, quitting after UKIP’s spectacular failure at the General Election.
Diane James lasted fewer than three weeks in September 2016 while Nigel Farage has been the party’s longest serving, and most recognisable leader.
He quit in July 2016 but returned temporarily in October 2016.
Writing prior to the vote Cllr Chris Wells, the leader of TDC – the country’s only UKIP council – said: “Whilst a leadership election is nobody’s first choice, it is, at least, an election with rules and equality of franchise. Whichever way you spin Bolton’s vision of UKIP’s future, the rules and the franchises proposed are profoundly undemocratic.
“Those of us who have given so many years to opposing the undemocratic nature of the EU, will not walk into Bolton’s whimsical worldview. We would rather walk away with our heads held high.”
Mr Bolton had called for the resignation of Cllr Wells following the voting down of Thanet’s Local Plan and the move of 12 UKIP members to Independent status.
Thanet Independent UKIP Group leader Cllr Stuart Piper said the vote had been undemocratic. He said: “The NEC deliberately excluded over 10,000 members from voting by refusing to ballot all members. I am not saying the result would definitely have been different but it would have been democratic.”
