Ukip in Wales in Turmoil as usual.

US Presidential Candidate Donald Trump recently  boasted  that support for his presidential campaign would not decline even if he shot someone in the middle of a crowded street.

Trump said at a campaign in Iowa

"I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters," 

We can only wonder here  how many votes Ukip can lose as its infighting continues

Ukip has suspended one of its highest profile politicians, Suzanne Evans, for six months over suspected disloyalty to the party.

Her suspension by the party’s disciplinary committee, allegedly for a number of specific complaints, comes just weeks after she was sacked as deputy chairwoman and then welfare spokeswoman.

The turmoil within Ukip in Wales  over its regional list candidate selections has reached a new level with controversial South Wales Central lead candidate Gareth Bennett calling for the deselection of his running mate Alex Phillips, the party’s press officer.

Mr Bennett gained UK-wide publicity after criticising Cardiff’s multiracial character in an interview with the WalesOnline .

Now a letter sent by Mr Bennett to Ukip Wales leader Nathan Gill has been leaked to us in which Ms Phillips, currently the party’s number two candidate in South Wales Central, is accused of conspiring to get him deselected by advising him to agree to the interview with WalesOnline.

The letter – headed “solicitor’s letter” but without the name of a solicitor – states: 

“My client now suggests that the following actions be taken.“That my client should deposit the required £15,000 [to cover election expenses] in the Ukip Wales bank account but subject to the confirmation that he is not about to be deselected as a candidate.“That, due to a gross conflict of interests, Alex Phillips should be deselected as a list candidate for South Wales Central.”

The letter also asks that 

“my client is relieved of all further media or hustings events during the campaign as he can no longer retain any confidence in the staff of the campaign and media officer to support his candidacy”.

Which Ukip might actually prefer rather than having Mr Bennett  repeat his slurs.

The letter concludes: 

“Please note that, if my client is deselected, the Ukip political party would face a legal action of £300,000 in lost earnings [over a five-year Assembly term] and would also face the prospect of paying my client’s legal costs in the event of losing the case.”

Meanwhile business consultant Llyr Powell, who has been selected to stand for Ukip in Neath and the South Wales West region (though apparently not high on the list)  confirmed he had told the party that if Mr Bennett remains as a candidate he will quit his own candidacies.

He said:

 “I was shocked by Gareth Bennett’s comments, which I consider wholly unacceptable and ludicrous. It is totally wrong to blame problems with rubbish on people of a certain ethnicity.

“I am aware that around 15 Ukip candidates have called on the party’s national executive committee to deselect him.”

With   nominations for the Assembly election close in less than two weeks. one wonders who will be  topping the list in South Wales Central  where they are likely to win at least one seat  Gareth Bennett or  Alex Phillips, (currently number 2).

Former Plaid councilor and parliamentary candidate Mohammed Sarul Islam is currently number 3 on the regions list for Ukip and must be more interested in what is going on than he would be. I wonder how in tune with his new colleagues he is?