Henry Bolton 'may have to sell family home to remain Ukip leader'

The new leader of Ukip has said he may need to sell his house in order to remain in the unpaid post.

Henry Bolton, who emerged as the surprise choice to take over the party last month, said his wife was "nervous and supportive" about the idea of putting their home in Folkestone, Kent, on the market to fund his political position.

Mr Bolton told LBC: "At the moment I am funding myself. I entered this knowing it wasn't paid. And, if I don't get any sort of remuneration from this, then we will be selling the home, and so on."

Asked how his wife felt about such a prospect, Mr Bolton said: "She's nervous and supportive."

The Ukip chief said he hoped he could avoid selling the family home, but insisted he was determined to remain party leader.

"This is a job that has to be done. This country is at such a juncture now that there is a desperate need for a bit of leadership and a pro-Brexit opposition."

Last year, the former Army officer's wife, Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, gave birth to their daughter, Victoria, on a train that had just pulled into London's St Pancras station.

Mr Bolton, a security consultant, has said he intends to remain at the helm of Ukip for four years after becoming the party's fourth leader since the Brexit referendum.