WE NOW have a new leader of the Ukip Group in the Welsh Assembly.

Yes, another you may say?

But this election encompassed the whole of the membership within Wales.

It was at the behest of the new ‘Grassroots’ organisation that this should be the way that the Assembly leadership should be elected.

We are a democratic party that believes in the membership having the ability to have their say in party matters.

Following a ‘Grassroots’ conference in Builth Wells, a new structure has been accepted by the membership who were balloted after much discussion.

As a result, we now have a Wales committee who will have certain responsibilities for the party in Wales.

I myself was voted in to take up the position of Wales chairman.

All members of the Wales committee have been elected in a ballot by each of the five regions of Wales, each region providing three members.

We have seen a huge influx of new members over the last six weeks.

Many old members have returned, and new members joined.

The figure is around 3,000 plus with Wales having the biggest percentage per membership.

This is along with an increase in our poll ratings, shows that Ukip is still a relevant part of British/Welsh politics.

The media have made much of past comments made by the new assembly leader Gareth Bennett.

Some of the comments are, I am sure, not the personal views of those who write them, but the views of those who pay their salaries.

It certainly appears that the ‘free press’ is now a thing of the past.

The press seem to line up with those of the left, with no ‘balance’ at all.

Other parties are lining up to attack us, but just take a look at their record in the Assembly - Plaid propping up Labour then attacking them for their poor record. They must take a lot of the blame for Wales being at the bottom of the pile.

But if you listen to the majority of the comments coming from this Labour government, they tell us that Wales are leading the world. This is absolute nonsense.

We are not afraid to tell it as it s’ and not dress it up for public consumption, and we believe that this Welsh Assembly has wasted 20 years, and achieved very little.