UKIP leader Henry Bolton has signalled he will not stand down after his girlfriend was suspended for reportedly making racist remarks about Meghan Markle.
Jo Marney was suspended after texts to a friend emerged in which she said Prince Harry's fiancee had a "tiny brain" and would "taint" the Royal Family.
Some party members have said her suspension is not enough and that leader Henry Bolton should stand down.
But in a video released by MailOnline, Mr Bolton, who became UKIP's fourth leader in a year last September, said "no" when he was asked if he would stand down as leader.
Mr Bolton, 54, left his wife and their baby shortly before his relationship with 25-year-old Ms Marney, who describes herself as a model and journalist, came to light.
Mr Bolton is understood to be under "huge pressure" from UKIP MEPs and members of the London and Welsh assemblies to consider his position, according to one party insider.
Another told Sky News "things are developing very quickly".
Former UKIP leadership candidate Ben Walker told Sky News: "I think the problem with all these messages that have been sent out is that they have been indirectly defended by him. He has in a round-about way assumed responsibility for them and tried to apologise for them.
Undated handout photo issued by Henry Bolton, who has been elected as the new leader of Ukip, with his wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, who gave birth to their baby daughter on the 3.43pm Southeastern service from Ashford International to St Pancras International on Sunday May 15, 2016.
Image:
Mr Bolton with his wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, who he left last year before details of his relationship with Ms Marney surfaced
"So, by rights, you are taking on board what she said and making it your own. That's a problem.
"As a party leader, it shows huge lack of judgement. It shows political ineptness. As a man, I don't know.
"It is true that it is hugely embarrassing - we haven't had stable leadership for 18 months now.
"He was elected on a platform of change but we have had no change."
A meeting of the UKIP national executive committee next Sunday is expected to discuss the questions surrounding Mr Bolton's relationship with Jo Marney.
However, one former UKIP leadership candidate, speaking anonymously to Sky News, said they did not expect Mr Bolton to survive the week in post.
They described the situation as a "disaster", and suggested former leader Nigel Farage was to blame for backing individuals who did not threaten to take the media spotlight from him.
Mr Bolton was elected as party leader in September 2017
"We've had failed leader after failed leader," the former candidate said. "You have to wonder whether it's all been engineered by Nigel Farage.
"After all, he's backed each and every one of them, plus two others - Raheem Kassam and Steven Woolfe - who both crashed and burned before the leadership ballots were sent out."