Indeed It is a bit like the old joke, how many people does it take to change a light-bulb; How many leaders does it really take to head up one political Party.
UKIP
Formed in 1991 by anti-Europe sceptic Alan Sked, its one aim was to remove the UK from Europe - 25 years later it has succeeded. By 1994 it had gained 1% of the populist vote, and skirting financial problems by 2004 it had gained 12 seats in the European Parliament - the very institution they were trying to do away with! In 2006 the big-beast took over and Nigel Farage unveiled his policies which broadened the scope away from just Europe to a far more mainstream UK political agenda.
By 2009 it had 13 MEP's and pushing hard for a fight with the Conservatives and trying hard to broaden their appeal.
Out through the in-door!
In September 2009 Farage suddenly resigned as Party Leader, being replaced by Malcolm Pearson who boosted the party's ratings in light of the Westminster expenses scandal and returned a hefty vote (but no seats), in the 2010 general election. Pearson resigned in August of that year and Farage returned, placing the emphasis on ground-roots local support. This paid off handsomely in the 2013 local elections when Ukip gained 147 local seats. In the local and European elections of 2014, they made considerable gains securing their first Parliamentary seat courtesy of Douglas Carswell, a conservative defector.
Putting his neck on the line Farage said he would resign if he did not win South Thanet, he was standing for. He did not and so resigned, only to be reinstated three days later. With the 2016 victory of 52% of voters wishing to leave the EU Farage once again resigned: mission accomplished. David James was elected as his successor but resigned after 18 days, being replaced by Paul Nuttall, who stayed long enough to witness the party's political meltdown, resigning the morning after the vote.
He was replaced by Steve Crowther, until we come to 29 September 2017, when he was replaced by...
Henry Bolton
54-year-old ex-serviceman Henry is a man who has been mired in backbiting, resignations and in-fighting since day one. He has been unable to stop the party turmoil and has been ineffectual in building bridges between the warring factions.
He also has a predilection for young women which has brought him to his current impasse.
Last week his 25-year-old girlfriend was enmeshed in a historic hate campaign which was fuel for the fire for not only the party but the tabloid press, who besmirched his reputation further. After assuring everyone that his relationship was at an end, he was photographed in various locations in the company of the young lady in question. This prompted an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council which gained a no-confidence motion against Bolton on Sunday. Unfortunately, he refused to go, stating - not unwisely - that another leadership round would probably finish the party off in the eyes of the voter.
These words fell on deaf ears with both the deputy leader and the immigration spokesman resigning on Monday stating that until this mess could be cleared up - meaning Bolton outed - the party was in limbo.
Whether you agree with it or not UKIP will always be Nigel Farage's baby. Every other leader had paled under his beer drinking shadow, and none of them rightly or wrongly has had his vision of what it should or should not stand for. As of Monday, he has refused to step into the fray yet again, believing that he has achieved his aim of dividing Britain as he has put us at the throats of our European neighbours. With Bolton refusing to go, it is now left to the party members themselves to out him, and make no mistake, in order to see the safety of the monster he helped create, Farage will be hovering in the wings somewhere.
