He was ousted as Ukip leader after just five months and has never won election to so much as a village council but Henry Bolton believes the UK needs him.
The former soldier has decided to set up his own political party less than a month after Ukip members ousted him as leader of the so-called ‘People’s Army’.
Bolton was axed as the party’s fourth leader since the 2016 EU Referendum after he refused to resign over racist messages sent by his 25-year-old model girlfriend, Jo Marney.
But despite not inspiring the confidence of a party which is currently languishing at around 2% in the opinion polls, Bolton believes he does have a future in politics.
He told the BBC his “OneNation” party will be “a truly professional political party that believes in Britain, that preserves our national identity, culture, heritage and confidence and talks our great nation up rather than down; a party dedicated to the full independence of the UK in all areas of law, government and public administration.”
In a press release sent out announcing the party’s creation, Bolton said: “The colour of OneNation is British Racing Green. BRG was the international motor racing colour of the United Kingdom. It represents British branding and excellence.”
Twitter users gave a predictable reaction to Bolton’s new party:
Bolton is not the first former Ukipper to set up his own political party.
Indeed, of the six who stood in the 2017 leadership contest, three have now quit the Ukip to form their own parties.
Anne Marie Waters formed ‘For Britain’ a month after finishing runner-up to Bolton, while fourth place John Rees-Evans created ‘Affinity’, before abandoning that to take over as leader of the ‘Democrats and Veterans’ party launched in January 2018
Former chat-show host, and Labour MP, Robert Kilroy-Silk created “Veritas” in 2005 after he failed to take over the Ukip leadership.
However, within six months Kilroy-Silk stepped down as leader and quit the party, saying it was “virtually impossible” for a new party to make an electoral breakthrough in the UK.
The party subsequently merged with the English Democrats.