Ukip over and out?

Britain's Ukip party may seek to remove its leader Henry Bolton from office: the right-wing populist party's national executive committee backed a vote of no confidence in its leader after it emerged that his girlfriend had posted racist comments about Prince Harry's fiancée. After the bitter defeat at the last parliamentary elections and in view of the current row British media are predicting the end of Ukip - but don't view this prospect with relief.

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Financial Times (GB) /

Ukip has had a decisive impact on the country

The Brexit decision and the governing Tories' shift to the right have rendered Ukip obsolete, the Financial Times writes:

“Although the party has been written off many times, it is hard to see what could enable Ukip to bounce back this time. But for its core supporters, that does not matter. They have lost many wars, but won the only battle that mattered to them. Brexit seems far more likely to happen than not, while the Conservative party has largely abandoned former prime minister David Cameron's 'modernisation' project and adopted much of Ukip's domestic agenda. Although the party's travails are the source of much hilarity, it is easy to forget just how influential - for better or worse - it has been.”

The Independent (GB) /

Danger of an even more radical movement

If Ukip collapses the party's former leader Nigel Farage could create an even more radical right-wing movement, The Independent fears:

“The big question is what will come after Ukip. The danger is what may come after it - a well-funded explicitly populist, Trumpesque new party led by Nigel Farage. For all the opprobrium heaped upon him, Mr Farage has a proven ability to exploit every possible grievance the public is prey to. ... Ukip may well be ready for its last rites, but the values, opinions and supporters that gave it life have not disappeared. Its next incarnation could be more serious and more vicious than the last.”