Henry Bolton waving his flag at UKIP’s conference in Torquay (Picture: PA Wire)

The new UKIP leader has wasted no time speaking out against LGBT rights, saying ‘they have gone a bit far’.

Henry Bolton, the party’s fourth leader in just over a year, also claimed Britain was being overwhelmed by immigration and it is ‘harming our own culture, traditions and way of life’, when he spoke out.

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Hours after being elected, Former policeman Mr Bolton, who stood as a Liberal Democrat candidate for Parliament in 2005, said: ‘Quite honestly, I think it is getting a bit far when we are encouraging children in some cases to question their own sexuality.

‘I think that is certainly going too far.’




Weighing into the debate about transgender rights Mr Bolton added: ‘What I have a problem with is that we should all have a choice in that debate.

Henry Bolton tells supporters Brexit is not a done deal yet (Picture: Getty Images)

‘If somebody feels it has gone too far they should be free to express that concern.’

Yesterday the former Army officer defeated anti-Islam candidate Anne Marie Waters, who finished second in the leadership election, and prevented a split of the party

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In his speech to conference in Torquay he said: ‘Immigration is overwhelming our public services, which themselves are being slashed – 25% off the police, for example, in some cases nearly 50% off local government.

‘Housing and communities are being overwhelmed, it is harming our own culture, traditions and way of life.

‘We must demand that our own concerns about our own British culture are heard and that that feeds into our policy on immigration.’

Bolton later complained about the state of the military and said: ‘Everyone praises our servicemen and women but this government stabs them in the back. We have less battle ready tanks than neutral Switzerland.’

He also lambasted Theresa May and the crowd cheered when he said the Tories could not be trusted with Brexit.

Wishing him well: Mr Bolton’s predecessors Paul Nuttall and Nigel Farage (Picture: PA Wire)

He said: ‘The country and many of our supporters trusted her and the Conservatives won the election. So, 14 months after the referendum, have we regained control of our borders?

‘Are we able to conclude our own trade agreements? We have not, no.’

Mr Bolton ended his speech waving a union flag and saying: ‘Failure is not an option.’

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