Ukip leader Henry Bolton admits he was wrong to claim he had Sandhurst degree

Ukip leader (at time of posting) Henry Bolton $image.copyright

Ukip's embattled leader has admitted he was wrong to claim he had a degree from Sandhurst, but said it was no worse than giving the wrong result of an egg and spoon race.

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Henry Bolton listed a BA from the military academy on his profile on networking site LinkedIn.

But after Channel 4 News pointed out the qualification did not exist, the former army officer changed the entry on the site to "military studies".

Asked if he accepted that listing the degree was wrong, he replied: "Yes. Just to be clear on it, that's all. I have never, you know, any employer I have ever worked for, you know - I have never claimed to have anything apart from that NVQ."

He told The Emma Barnett Show on BBC Radio 5 live: "I've got one qualification there, it's an NVQ level 6 and that's all I'm saying."

Mr Bolton said the networking site "didn't have a facility for NVQ Level 6".

He added: "Maybe it looks as though I'm claiming two qualifications - I accept that. That was a valid observation. I've changed it."

The party leader compared the situation to giving the wrong result after an egg and spoon race.

"Somebody responded on social media the other night about this, and I think that rather sums it up," he told the programme.

"They said 'well he claims to come sixth in the Kent egg and spoon race but actually he came seventh - please, please expose this blatant lie'. I mean, you know, that's the scale of this."

Mr Bolton is facing a vote over his leadership at a special meeting of party members in February.

A number of senior figures quit their roles after he refused to stand down after a vote of no confidence in him by the party's ruling body earlier in January.

Mr Bolton has faced a stream of calls to resign following his relationship with Jo Marney, 25, who made a string of racist comments about Meghan Markle.

Mr Bolton said the party's internal structures were not in order when he took over.

He told the programme: "You've got to have your finances in order, you've got to have your internal communications in order, and you've got to have your human resources in order.

"Now I'm afraid to say I inherited a party where none of that was in place."