Meet Henry Bolton: a former soldier, a former Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, and UKIP's current leader.
Bolton took the job despite not having a job to pay for it.
For the first few months Bolton avoided attracting too much controversy, although he managed to make headlines when he insisted he could kill a badger with his bare hands.
After three months in the job, Bolton finally achieved his dream of achieving a public profile. Unfortunately for the married party leader, this happened when he was outed on the front page of the Sun for starting a new relationship with a glamour model and party supporter.
Bolton attempted to head off criticism by contacting party members in advance of publication, to warn of a forthcoming malicious story, while insisting he had already split up with his wife before beginning the new relationship.
Fantastic Xmas dinner with our leader @_henrybolton 🎄#ukip
Bolton's wife, Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, disagreed and said she was dumped on Christmas Eve and told of the new relationship by text on 30 December, even though she was still breastfeeding their youngest child.
UKIP politicians traditionally fight like rats in a sack. Except this time the sack was on a sinking ship and the money had run out and no one had heard of the party leader.
Party officials began to demand Bolton apologise for allegedly overstating the strength of his marriage in order to win votes.
Bolton insisted he was very much doing his best to work through some personal issues – but then people starting checking the social media accounts of his new partner.
Morning reading 📖
There were stories about her holding a signed copy of a book by Enoch Powell, the infamous anti-immigrant British MP. There were questions about her Facebook posts, which variously called Grenfell Tower "a nest of illegal immigrants" and said nurses are "just posh cleaners".
Then things got worse: The Mail on Sunday published a series of texts Marney had written in the past, in which she which said she wouldn't sleep with a "negro" and complained about Meghan Markle's "seed" tainting the royal family.
From Mail on Sunday. Some of the comments that UKIP leader's girlfriend is said to have made about Meghan Markle… https://t.co/RuULMkKCcw
Marney also complained about the prospect of a Muslim prime minister and a black king.
She was immediately suspended from UKIP as a result of the story, despite her partner being nominally in charge. Marney later apologised in a statement, saying her comments had been taken out of context. She added: "I fully recognise the offence they have caused."
By this point it is highly likely that Henry Bolton will not be invited to the royal wedding.
Bolton faced a choice that many people face: between an unpaid job leading a struggling political party where everyone hates him and a life with a new girlfriend facing racism accusations on the front page of a national newspaper.
UKIP’s Henry Bolton discussing his love life on R4. “The romantic element of our relationship is over... Our first… https://t.co/wVeJps0EpA
He ended up choosing the job, before conducting an early-morning media round where he said he had ended the "romantic element" of the relationship with Marney but had not completely parted ways.
UKIP officials were briefing that he would face serious questions.
Bill Etheridge, an MEP who shot to fame after writing a book celebrating golliwogs, announced he had resigned as the party's sport spokesperson in protest at the developments.
(Admittedly some people were confused that UKIP had a sport spokesperson.)
@jimwaterson Th UKIP sport position has been consistent: a return to long shorts, proper leather balls (with laces… https://t.co/Obtb7DxUdm
In response, Bolton waded into the comments on Etheridge's Facebook page, insisting Etheridge could not resign since he had already been sacked at the perfectly normal time of 5:29 in the morning.
There was a brief lull mid-afternoon while it was revealed Bolton, who does not have a paying job, owes a substantial sum in service charges on his flat and is having to sell his home.
Ukip leader Henry Bolton owes £28,000 in service charges on his flat, and is having to sell the property to pay the… https://t.co/kVyna9hQBc
Meanwhile, UKIP's culture and arts spokesperson – who definitely exists – threatened to resign if Bolton didn't quit immediately.
It's all going terribly well.
David Meacock also suggested, in a lengthy and rambling statement, that UKIP should follow the precedent of the Olympic committee and appoint the runner-up of the September leadership contest as Bolton's replacement.
In measured language, he said Bolton faced a "Edward VIII moment" where he had to choose "his mistress or his crown".
Meanwhile, the Sun reported that Bolton allegedly sent messages warning of consequences for Marney's ex-boyfriend if any messages about Markle were leaked, though Bolton's aides say that in fact the messages he was trying to suppress contained sick jokes.
Excl: Ukip leader Henry Bolton tried to stop his shamed mistress’s sick rants from being exposed with menacing thre… https://t.co/f7SJX2Nnfh
