A CONTROVERSIAL former MP who tops UKIP’s Mid and West Wales regional list for the assembly elections has fired a broadside at Plaid Cymru, labelling his party the “true nationalist party of Wales”.

Neil Hamilton — whose political career in Westminster ended in scandal, disgrace, and a famous 1997 election defeat — will be among the first likely UKIP assembly members following the elections in May.

The 67-year-old Aberystwyth university alumnus, in an interview with the Cambrian News this week, said that UKIP will “gain more votes than Plaid Cymru” and would provide “real opposition” to Labour.

Current polls suggest that UKIP could win up to nine seats from the regional list — the 20 members of the Assembly elected via proportional representation, but are unlikely to win any constituency seats under the first-past-the-post system.

“We will certainly gain more votes overall in Wales than Plaid Cymru, the so-called nationalist party,” Mr Hamilton told the Cambrian News.

“We could even gain more seats than them. I’m looking forward to taking on Plaid Cymru in their own backyard and explaining to people that UKIP are the real nationalist party of Wales.

“Bringing Government closer to the people is what I want.”

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