UKIP leader Nigel Farage joined a rally overlooking the M4 yesterday calling for the Severn Bridge tolls to be scrapped.

Mr Farage said this was part of a party push to gain seats in Wales during the Assembly Elections next year, when he wants UKIP to become “the official opposition” despite the fact they currently have no seats.

The Severn bridges, currently owned by a French company, will pass into public ownership in 2018 giving the government the possibility to change the toll pricing.

Nigel Farage, who resigned as leader following his failed bid to become MP for Thanet South during May’s General Election but since returned, did not seem certain on how the toll cut would be funded. He said cheaper M4 relief road was a possibility but not necessarily the best solution: “We will as a party give our final opinion on the black route versus the blue route. We think the blue route offers better value for money and could be completed far more quickly. If it’s going to take ten years for the black route to be done, that’s an awfully long time. But I’m not here to tell UKIP Wales what their manifesto should be, but I’m pleased they consult me."

Speaking on a bridge overlooking the tolls near Rogiet, Mr Farage said: “Roads are a national issue, not devolved, but for some reason at the moment the political party in Wales appear to be in favour or arguing that these tolls should remain after 2018. I think this is one of those areas where UKIP could lead the debate and before you know it people will support out view."

When asked about the potentially damaging impact of the M4 blue route option (upgrades to the existing SDR close to residential areas) on Newport, Mr Farage said: “That’s too much detail for me to go into. I won’t pretend to be a local expert on everything because I’m not. I’m here and I’m listening.”

He said he was “absolutely certain” UKIP would field a candidate in every Welsh constituency, but ruled out seeking to become Nigel Farage AM himself, saying his personal links in Wales are “purely holiday”.

But he said UKIP had done better in Wales than across the border in England in the General Election, saying: “There hasn’t been an opposition voice to Labour for too long and in a democracy it’s not healthy if things aren’t challenged. Labour effectively has closed down debate on questions like immigration.”

He also defended the decision for UKIP to launch its own “No” campaign group against the UK staying in the European Union, saying his would focus on immigration.

The EU referendum, set to be before 2017, would likely be the focus of campaigning from all parties in the run-up to the Welsh Assembly elections, he added.

He also claimed the Welsh branch of the party needed “sounder structures in place” to make sure unsuitable candidates were weeded out, such as Caerphilly Council hopeful Bobby Douglas, who commented on Facebook that immigrants claiming benefits should be “gassed like badgers”.

Mr Farage said: “That particular example shows that UKIP Wales with all the good people it’s got and all the enthusiasm needs to get sounder structures in place otherwise this wouldn’t have happened. What has happened recently is not good, needs dealing with and my views on this matter have been very firmly received by all in Wales.”