UKIP chief DUMPS glamour model lover, 25, over racist texts about Meghan Markle as his jilted Russian wife says she's 'relieved' for her children that he's out of the 'damaging relationship'
Ukip leader's 25-year-old model girlfriend compared baby rape to animal abuse
Comes as Jo Marney was revealed to have sent racist texts about Meghan Markle
Henry Bolton is under pressure to resign as leader of the party amid the scandal
Mr Bolton told Good Morning Britain he dumped Miss Marney but won't resign!

Ukip leader Henry Bolton today defended his glamour model lover - despite ending their affair after it emerged his she had joked online about sexual abuse of babies and sent racist texts about Meghan Markle.

Mr Bolton complained that Jo Marney had been 'thrown to the wolves' after he bowed to an ultimatum to dump the 25-year-old or quit.

He said the outrageous texts did not represent Miss Marney's 'core beliefs', and vowed to stand by her even though their relationship was over.

Mr Bolton is still facing intense pressure to resign in the wake of the Mail's revelation that he had left his third wife for the model and Ukip member.

A letter being circulated within party circles warns that it is 'rightly perceived to be incompetent' and demands he be ousted at a meeting of the ruling committee on Sunday. It urges sacking of better-paid staff and moving out of rented offices as part of a rescue plan to save UKIP from total financial collapse.

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Mr Bolton revealed he dumped Miss Marney last night, but refused to resign.

'I don't defend these comments whatsoever and indeed Jo has been suspended. It's against the constitution of the party to be racist in any way,' he said.

'As of last night, the romantic part of our relationship has ended. We had that conversation last night when I returned from Yorkshire. The conversation will remain private, but it was a long and upsetting conversation for both of us.'

The pressure intensified yesterday when Miss Marney was suspended from the party over a series of racist messages in which she branded black people as 'ugly' and warned that Meghan Markle's genes would 'taint our royal family'.

Mr Bolton said he believed Miss Marney was 'exploited' by people within the party who wanted to 'attack' him, but vowed to continue as leader.

He said: 'What I would say, I am not intending to resign. It's up to the party what happens in relation to my leadership.

'There are a great many people who fully support me. I was in Yorkshire at the weekend and the people there fully support me.

'There is a failed group within the party that has been looking for an opportunity to criticise and attack me. They have looked at a young woman, whose life they have destroyed.

'I am blaming the people who have deliberately used her to attack me. What I am saying is that people have exploited her and have been prepared to throw her to the wolves to attack me.

'I have ended the romantic element to our relationship, but I am fully supporting her family as she tries to rebuild her life. If people want to attack me for my politics then bring it on, let's have that debate. I am cross.'

Mr Bolton said his critics had used Ms Marney to attack him and said he would 'stand by' her despite the relationship ending.