There was no Snub of Football Heroes . Just a attempt to attack Cymraeg.

On Thursday the Wasting Mule  and Wales Online  treated us to the headlines

Wales' Euro 2016 football heroes snubbed for Eisteddfod honour because not enough speak Welsh

"Wales' Euro 2016 heroes have been snubbed for an award at the National Eisteddfod - because some of the players don't speak Welsh.
After their unforgettable surge to the semi-finals of the tournament this summer, there were calls for them to be honoured by the Gorsedd y Beirdd (people who have made distinguished contributions to Welsh life) at the annual festival.

But there will be no recognition after Archdruid Geraint Lloyd Owen rejected the idea.

 "If they can't speak Welsh I don't see how we can welcome them in, because Welsh is the biggest, strongest weapon we have as a nation and without, we have nothing," he is quoted as saying on the BBC."I'm not an inflammatory sort of person, and I don't thrive on controversy."I'm just going to take the role of being Archdruid as it comes. I'll try to be myself, but you'll never please everyone."

Mr Owen pointed out that he could think of no non-Welsh speaker other than the Queen to have received the honour.'

Though I am not sure George Thomas was anything like fluent and he was inducted and it can't even be said he contruibuted to the Welsh Language.

This led to a swarm of reaction even among the supporters of the Language

Anghytuno gyda'r penderfyniad yma. Roedd hwn yn gyfle euraidd i'r steddfod ehangu apel i Gymry di-Gymraeg. https://twitter.com/marcwebber/status/758995226216116224 …1:44 PM - 29 Jul 2016
1515 Retweets 2222 likes


Labour's Ann Jones added:

FollowAnn Jones AM @ann_jonesam

So wrong of Archdruid not to honour the Welsh football team at national eisteddfod. #poorjudgement3:30 PM - 29 Jul 2016
1010 Retweets 99 likes




WalesOnline
✔@WalesOnline

Wales' football heroes snubbed for Eisteddfod honour because not enough of them speak Welsh http://bit.ly/2aBkT3z


FollowTony Hicks @keysersoze_01

@WalesOnline @delmeparfitt lost opportunity to raise profile and expand use of the language #insular12:54 PM - 29 Jul 2016
Retweets 33 likes





FollowJonnyValleyBoy @JonnyValleyBoy

As a Dysgwr Cymraeg I find the decision made by Y Gorsedd to exclude the #Welsh football team recognition is a bit short sighted, tbh like..

It was not till Friday that the Media clarified that

"No member of the Wales Euro 2016 football team was nominated for a Gorsedd honour, t because the Nomination closed in February".

A statement from the Eisteddfod, released on Friday night, said: “We are very proud of the success of the team and they were invited to come along to the Monmouthshire and District Eisteddfod.

“The Eisteddfod plays no role in the nominating and honouring of individuals or in any decision made by the Gorsedd Board

“Like everyone and everything else the Gorsedd has its rules and only Gorsedd members have the right to nominate or second individuals to be honoured and, of course, it is essential that the person nominated speaks Welsh.
“The process for this year’s nominations closed at the end of February and, in accordance with Gorsedd rules, it is not possible to re-open nominations once the deadline has passed.

“No member of the Welsh football team were nominated for the Gorsedd and no member of the team was refused the honour.”

It is disgraceful  that the Welsh Media have misled the Welsh Public in such a way.

• Firstly by announcing that the Gorsedd  had "Snubbed" the Welsh side gives the impression they should somehow include the whole side in the ceremony. To my mind there has been no inclusion of a team or organisation inducted into the Gorsedd . It is for individuals only.

• Secondly since a number of the Welsh side including Aaron Ramsay   Ben Davies and Joe Allen are among the fluent Welsh speakers in Coleman's team there is no bar for Individual members to be inducted into the Gorseedd  just as other have in the past .

• Thirdly by concentrating on the "If they can't speak Welsh I don't see how we can welcome them in, " claim they seem to be deliberately ignoring the very nature of the Gorsedd in that it is A Welsh Language Institution   and  you may as well claim that the Welsh side were snubbed by the Women's Institute  because they are men.

Once a gain the Welsh Media have manufactured a  story designed to show those committed to preserving the Welsh Language in a bad light .

Can there be any connection by the apparent rise in support  for Welsh Independence ?

Once again a controversy has been manufactured by the Wasting Mule and its

media allies with a totally non story .

Judging by the public reaction even among my fellow monoglot English speakers they have succeed in their aim and damaged the Eisteddfod and the cause of the Language.

Revival of Lib Dems by them doing nothing.

Are the Liberal Democrats experiencing a revival ?

Certainly there have been a series of recent Byelection gains and comfortable holds on local councils to the delight of Harry Hatfield who perhaps deserves to his sterling work on reporting on them  over at Political Betting and the Lib Dems  website.

The most recent  Welsh Election was on Newport City Council where they retained their only seat .
St Julian’s (Lib Dem defence) on Newport

Result of council at last election (2012): Labour 37, Conservatives 10, Independents 2, Liberal Democrat 1 (Labour majority of 24)
Result of ward at last election (2012) : Emboldened denotes elected
Labour 1,020, 981, 957 (46%)
Liberal Democrats 958, 873, 863 (42%)
Conservatives 299, 266, 243 (13%)
)
Liberal Democrat 948 (54% +12%),
Labour 432 (24% -22%),
Ukip 156 (9%, no candidate in 2012),
Conservative 135 (8% -5%),
Plaid Cymru 71 (4%, no candidate in 2012), 
Green Party 25 (1%, no candidate in 2012)
Liberal Democrat HOLD with a majority of 516 (30%) on a swing of 17% from Labour to Liberal Democrat

Popular councillor Ed Townsend  had represented St Julian’s Ward as a Liberal Democrat since 2004 and was the deputy leader of the council from 2008 to 2012 being the only Libersl Democrat to survive the blood bath onthe council where they lost eight seats in 2013

Mr Townsend, who was described as a ‘champion’ of the area and completely dedicated to residents, died at his home in May aged 64 following a short illness.

Standing for the Liberal Democrats  and winner was Mr Townsend’s wife, Carmel Roseanne Townsend.

So the Lib Dems must have be odds on favourites to retain the seat.


Nevertheless it was the sort of vote they experienced pre 2010 and their disastrous time of the Con/Lib Deen coalition, and Ukip gaining the vote of the disgruntled electorate.
They now face a  excellent chance in a forthcoming bylection on Plasnewydd ward  on Cardiff Council which previously was a stronghold for them after the death of Laboutr Councillor Mohammad Javed

Plasnewydd - results

Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%
Sue Lent	Labour	1535	11%	Elected
Daniel De'Ath	Labour	1438	10%	Elected
Mary McGarry	Labour	1436	10%	Elected
Mohammad Javed	Labour	1413	10%	Elected
Rodney Berman	Liberal Democrats	1362	10%	Not elected
Geraldine Nichols	Liberal Democrats	1314	9%	Not elected
Richard Jerrett	Liberal Democrats	1297	9%	Not elected
Elgan Morgan	Liberal Democrats	1286	9%	Not elected
Tony Matthews	Green	535	4%	Not elected
Askor Ali	Plaid Cymru	505	4%	Not elected
Mohammed Hannan	Conservative	434	3%	Not elected
Edward Parish	Plaid Cymru	344	2%	Not elected
Ian Mullis	Plaid Cymru	338	2%	Not elected
Enid Harries	Conservative	232	2%	Not elected
Hannah Moscrop	Conservative	193	1%	Not elected
Aled Jones-Pritchard	Conservative	174	1%	Not elected
Marc Gonzalez	Labour	171	1%	Not elected

 failure to regain one of the seats would be a disaster for  the Liberal Democrats. 

So at the moment the Liberal Democrats strategy seems to be to  be rather like a Doctor who faced with a patient complaint that he or she can't diagnose  is to do nothing and hope for the  body to cure itself 

The Lib Dems seem happy to let the other parties gain the negative publicity.

Perhaps exemplified by Peter Blacks  fascination  with Cats 

We can only speculate what the Lib Dem strategy  will then be after the Labour Leadership elections

If Corbyn wins, expect a move to Blairites particularly  members of the PLP to effect to them in a erun of the SDP/Lib alliance of the 1980 .

However if Owen Smith wins , then  the Lib Dems will declare that they are the Progressive Radical party that many of Corbyn's supporters  want .

However knowing the Lib Dems they will do both depending on what area of the UK they are standing.

Nigel Gill three bad headlines in a week.

Things only seem to be getting worse for UKIP Wales leader Nathan Gill

First he was told to  told to stop "double jobbing" or face having his right to stand for election removed by the party.

In a letter leaked to BBC Wales, UKIP chairman Steve Crowther asks Mr Gill to honour a commitment to stand down as an MEP now he is an AM for North Wales

.

The he was faced with a  call for a 21-year-old Ukip member  employed by him to be sacked.

Neil  Hamilton was furious about a tweet in which former Ukip Wales researcher Llyr Powell suggested he did not agree that Mr Hamilton should be able to claim accommodation costs in Cardiff while having his main home in Wiltshire.

Now according to BBC Wales the former constituency manager for UKIP Wales leader and MEP Nathan Gill has claimed he was unfairly sacked on disability grounds.

According to the  Beeb

John Atkinson's complaint against Mr Gill is being dealt with by the Employment Tribunals Service in Cardiff.
A decision is expected in the next few weeks on whether it is thrown out or goes to a full hearing.
Mr Atkinson was Mr Gill's constituency manager in his role as an MEP, and was also UKIP's campaign manager in Wales for the 2015 general election and the 2014 European election.
He has claimed he was dismissed by Mr Gill after complaining about being asked to carry out campaigning for UKIP instead of organising his MEP constituency work, which he said went against the conditions of his contract.
It is understood he wanted to carry out office-based work as he was unable to walk long distances because of asthma.
Mr Atkinson was dismissed as Mr Gill's constituency manager in March 2016. He had been in the job since July 2014.
He resigned from the party in February because he disagreed with UKIP's internal rows over the selection of candidates for the assembly election.
A tribunal judge will now consider the next step, and a spokesman for the Employment Tribunals Service confirmed that the case is progressing.

Mr Gill said he followed the rules of the conciliation service ACAS and the European Parliament's own legislation when the contract was terminated.

He said:

 "I ensured that the process of concluding the contract of employment was transparent and fair in terms of paid holiday, final remuneration and notice period, and fully adherent to the law.
"I have every reason to believe that there are absolutely no grounds for any claim of unfair dismissal."

It is fortunate for Ukip that  the increasing disputes within the  party  have been overshadowed by those within Labour and its leadership candidate. 

With Nigel Farage's  decision  to stand down as leader apparently permanent  . Its going to be interesting if the new leader has the same "Charisma" and media support as Mr Farage.

If the Party in Wales is any indicator though the leadership contest  could turn out as fractious and divisive as that of Labour's current little spat".

 

For Wales see England?

This Blog  recently a called  for the Welsh Government  to appoint a Minister for Brexit to make sure that we have a say in the negotiations,'

Plaid seem to have gone further  and  have said  Wales should have its own foreign policy and ‘ministry for international affairs’ rather than relying on Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, according to Plaid Cymru.

According to the Wasting Mule

The party made the call as they labelled the newly-installed Foreign Office supremo and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox a “double act of danger”.
AM Steffan Lewis said rather than allowing former Tory leadership hopeful Mr Johnson to speak for the country a team of diplomats who answer to the Welsh Government should be created.

 Mr Lewis, Plaid’s external affairs spokesman, has also proposed creating a “ministry for international affairs” for the Welsh Government in an attempt to prevent Westminster from having the greatest influence over Wales’ global dealings.

Mr Lewis claimed the UK’s global reputation will be “damaged” under Mr Johnson while Welsh trade will be “at the mercy” of Mr Fox.

He said:

 “Wales being tied to this double act of danger poses real questions for us as a nation in terms of how we see ourselves in the world and how we want to be seen by other countries.”
“to mitigate the threats to Wales from the new team of isolationist hawks appointed to key international roles in Westminster we need a dramatic change in Welsh foreign policy”.

 “We need a new infrastructure for Welsh foreign policy backed by a new ministry for international affairs at Welsh government level.
“There is precedent for sub-state governments having significant global roles and reaches such as Quebec in Canada and Flanders in Belgium.”

On the Graham Norton Show. Charlotte  Church, said gaffe-prone Bush had no idea where Wales was when she met him after performing for outgoing President Bill Clinton in Washington in 2000.

He asked me what state Wales was in. I said: Its its own country next to England, actually Mr Bush.

The Establishment  should in itself have raised  our Nations Profile in the World
but I beleive there  is still a huge "For Wales see England"  attitude not only in the Capitol Cities rest of the World but in London as well.

The Scottish Referendum and the Commonwealth Games  both raised that nations profile and the First Minister there is seen as an Internationl Statesman or rather Woman.

But the same cannot be  of our own First Minister who has no ambition for Wales to even run the Commonwealth Games let alone be sen as a Nation beyond Fooball and Rugby.

And what of "Future Prime Minister  Owen Smith?

Here he is om whether   Wales should have its own Cricket Team 



The Welsh economy so dependent on the aid from the EU and hoping against hope that we will receive something similar after Brexit ' Will continue  to be dependent unless we start showing ourselves on the World stage and  our  own foreign policy and ‘ministry for international affairs’ may be the start.

 

We need greater scrutiny of Lobbyist

One of Plaid Cymru’s major figures has been criticised over her role as a lobbyist representing a company that has won contracts worth more than £110m from the Welsh Government.

Nerys Evans, a former AM, is both the vice chair of Plaid Cymru and a director of lobbying firm Deryn who represents Associated Community Training (ACT) Ltd, Wales’ largest private training provider.


Ms Evans chairs the governance committee of ACT, which provides post-education vocational training for the Welsh Government, and owns a 10% equity stake in Portal Training, a company linked to ACT.

Plaid AM Neil McEvoy, who represents South Wales Central, said that her roles represented a conflict of interest.

Mr McEvoy said:

“In my view it looks like a conflict of interest for Nerys Evans to chair the governance committee of ACT while working for the firm as a consultant.
“I am also concerned at the perception created of a conflict of interest by the fact that she is also a director of an associated company, Portal Training, in which she also has a 10% equity stake.
“I believe she should consider whether it is appropriate for her to continue chairing the governance committee of ACT in these circumstances.”

 Mr McEvoy has been calling for the introduction of a lobbyists’ register at the National Assembly, and earlier this month clashed with First Minister Carwyn Jones after alleging that “cash for access” to Ministers existed in Cardiff Bay. Mr Jones emphatically denied that was the case.

So he probably needed to appear to single out Nerys Evans  or be accused of hypocrisy .

A response was issued by Huw Roberts, who was a special adviser to former Labour Welsh Secretary Ron Davies , and now chairs Deryn.

He said: 

“Nerys uses her strategic understanding and focus on excellence across a number of roles to build new businesses and deliver good quality jobs. She is hugely sought after for her advice and has forged a very successful business career.
“All information mentioned is in the public domain as we firmly believe it should be. We see no conflict of interest in working with clients in the wider sense.
“We are members of the APPC – the UK-wide body and register all of our clients publicly with them, we would also be happy to see a Wales specific register.”

Another director is Cathy Owens, a former Labour Welsh Government special adviser. The firm was set up in 2011

It highlights the problem  that politicians face  when not in office or starting their climb up the greasy pole  with an eye on a seat.

It explains why when you look at the CV of many of our elected members  in any of the four UK legislators  you will often see involvement in such a company as  ACT or with a number of charities.

It means that they are contact with those legislators who they may wish to join  either through Lobbying  or representation  by some other means.

For the Lobbyist  Company it means that they have someone working for them who has links within the Bubble at cardiff Bay or Westminster.

It may not always be useful for an aspiring candidate however.


In 2006, while still Head of Policy and Government Relations for Pfizer, Owen Smith fought the 2006 Blaenau Gwent by-election. At the time Mr Smith said that Pfizer had been “extremely supportive” of his aspirations to public office. Smith lost to independent candidate Dai Davies: Smith polled 37% of the vote while Davies polled 46.2%. During the by-election campaign, Smith spoke with Wales Online and expressed his support for the private sector playing a supportive role in the NHS,private finance initiative (PFI) schemes,
A statement that has been used against the Labour Leadership candidate .

I am not sure whether we can or indeed should prevent Politicians  from being part of the lobbying process.

What we should do however is make it far more open and scrutinised.

However of far grater concern  is that  legislators have outside interest which clearly compromises their Impartiality. 

In 2012 over 200 parliamentarians had  recent past or present financial links to companies involved in healthcare and all were allowed to vote on the Health and Social Care bill, turning it into an Act.

We have strict rules for local councillors over  declaring an interest and preventing them for voting and yet these do not apply in the same way it does to MPs and AMs

I don't think it would work in a legislature  but when a MP pr AM  backs the  "private sector playing a supportive role in the NHS".  We kneed to know whether that is because they think it is in the Interest of the Nation, their constituents or  their own financial advantage .

Ukip Civil War could lead to defection to Welsh Tories.

Before we start it is important to note that although Nathan Gill is the leader of Ukip in Wales, he was ousted as the leader of the Party in the Welsh Assembly  which was hardly a good start in party unity 

The leader of Ukip's group is if course Neil Hamilton , whohas been accused of "awful bullying behaviour".

bullying after calling for a 21-year-old Ukip member set to be employed by his party rival Nathan Gill to be sacked.

Mr Hamilton was furious about a tweet in which former Ukip Wales researcher Llyr Powell suggested he did not agree that Mr Hamilton should be able to claim accommodation costs in Cardiff while having his main home in Wiltshire.

In a leaked e-mail (yes we all believe that) to Mr Gill, the former Tory MP described Mr Powell as "a malign influence in Ukip Wales".

Mr Hamilton wrote:

 "Llyr was a malign influence in UKIP Wales in the run-up to the Assembly election and I was surprised that you chose to employ him after I had said there was no place for him on our group staff on account of his highly personal campaign against several UKIP AMs."
He went on to say that he was "outraged that Llyr Powell has publicly implied that my reimbursement claims are a waste of taxpayers' money".

Mr Gill, who is an MEP and also a North Wales Assembly Member, said it was “totally unacceptable” that the employment of Llyr Powell should be “jeopardised”.

He issued this statement:

“This is a talented young man who I know very well and who I have made provisions to employ on my staff in Brussels, but who is currently exploring the jobs market and building his career.
"For that to be jeopardised by this ongoing campaign of counter briefings and leaks from within the party is totally unacceptable.
“This matter should be dealt with privately and directly, not through emails then deliberately shared to journalists.
"As a Welsh taxpayer and voter he is more than entitled to question how an elected official is using the Assembly’s expenses provisions.
"Llyr is not an employee of Ukip so nobody in Ukip has it within their purview to call for him to be fired.
"This is awful bullying behaviour by people who frankly should know better, but are instead focused on a spiteful effort to seek hegemony in the party, one person at a time.”

Llyr Powell  stood down  for UKIP in May’s Assembly elections.  following controversial comments which were wildly  seen as racist from another UKIP candidate, Gareth Bennett, (Now an AM and Hamilton suppoter) about Eastern Europeans, he will no longer be standing for UKIP.

He was selected to stand in the Neath constituency and on the party’s list in the South Wales West region, but following controversial comments from another UKIP candidate, Gareth Bennett, about Eastern Europeans, he will no longer be standing for UKIP.

when Hamilton ousted Gill as group leader Mr Powell then described as a  a senior member of Ukip Wales’ national campaign team, said: 

“Six of us have been told we won’t be employed in future because we are Farage loyalists. A new team will be brought in.

We can only wonder  how long can the  the Ukip group stay together.

Could there be defections to the Tories which would probably make them the main opposition party.

If this was to happen however it would surely  bring in to question the whole list system .

Every one of the current Ukip AMs  was  elected under the Additional Member System

If a member was to resign  or die  then he or she would  be replaced by the next person on the list.

If there is no Candidate left then the seat would be left vacant .

However as with the case of Mohammad Asghar  who came  to prominence after being elected to the Welsh Assembly in 2007 as a member of Plaid Cymru on the list for South Wales East but fairly soon defected to the Conservatives, . It makes a mockery of am election system which is supposed   to make the electoral system fairer could be usurped  within months,

Although other systems would not stop this  AMS candidates  do not really have the same claim  that First Past the Post and Single Transferable  Post to gaining individual support.

In the next few months we may see this becoming a important debate.

Ukip Civil War could lead to defection to Welsh Tories.

Before we start it is important to note that although Nathan Gill is the leader of Ukip in Wales, he was ousted as the leader of the Party in the Welsh Assembly  which was hardly a good start in party unity 

The leader of Ukip's group is if course Neil Hamilton , whohas been accused of "awful bullying behaviour".

bullying after calling for a 21-year-old Ukip member set to be employed by his party rival Nathan Gill to be sacked.

Mr Hamilton was furious about a tweet in which former Ukip Wales researcher Llyr Powell suggested he did not agree that Mr Hamilton should be able to claim accommodation costs in Cardiff while having his main home in Wiltshire.

In a leaked e-mail (yes we all believe that) to Mr Gill, the former Tory MP described Mr Powell as "a malign influence in Ukip Wales".

Mr Hamilton wrote:

 "Llyr was a malign influence in UKIP Wales in the run-up to the Assembly election and I was surprised that you chose to employ him after I had said there was no place for him on our group staff on account of his highly personal campaign against several UKIP AMs."
He went on to say that he was "outraged that Llyr Powell has publicly implied that my reimbursement claims are a waste of taxpayers' money".

Mr Gill, who is an MEP and also a North Wales Assembly Member, said it was “totally unacceptable” that the employment of Llyr Powell should be “jeopardised”.

He issued this statement:

“This is a talented young man who I know very well and who I have made provisions to employ on my staff in Brussels, but who is currently exploring the jobs market and building his career.
"For that to be jeopardised by this ongoing campaign of counter briefings and leaks from within the party is totally unacceptable.
“This matter should be dealt with privately and directly, not through emails then deliberately shared to journalists.
"As a Welsh taxpayer and voter he is more than entitled to question how an elected official is using the Assembly’s expenses provisions.
"Llyr is not an employee of Ukip so nobody in Ukip has it within their purview to call for him to be fired.
"This is awful bullying behaviour by people who frankly should know better, but are instead focused on a spiteful effort to seek hegemony in the party, one person at a time.”

Llyr Powell  stood down  for UKIP in May’s Assembly elections.  following controversial comments which were wildly  seen as racist from another UKIP candidate, Gareth Bennett, (Now an AM and Hamilton suppoter) about Eastern Europeans, he will no longer be standing for UKIP.

He was selected to stand in the Neath constituency and on the party’s list in the South Wales West region, but following controversial comments from another UKIP candidate, Gareth Bennett, about Eastern Europeans, he will no longer be standing for UKIP.

when Hamilton ousted Gill as group leader Mr Powell then described as a  a senior member of Ukip Wales’ national campaign team, said: 

“Six of us have been told we won’t be employed in future because we are Farage loyalists. A new team will be brought in.

We can only wonder  how long can the  the Ukip group stay together.

Could there be defections to the Tories which would probably make them the main opposition party.

If this was to happen however it would surely  bring in to question the whole list system .

Every one of the current Ukip AMs  was  elected under the Additional Member System

If a member was to resign  or die  then he or she would  be replaced by the next person on the list.

If there is no Candidate left then the seat would be left vacant .

However as with the case of Mohammad Asghar  who came  to prominence after being elected to the Welsh Assembly in 2007 as a member of Plaid Cymru on the list for South Wales East but fairly soon defected to the Conservatives, . It makes a mockery of am election system which is supposed   to make the electoral system fairer could be usurped  within months,

Although other systems would not stop this  AMS candidates  do not really have the same claim  that First Past the Post and Single Transferable  Post to gaining individual support.

In the next few months we may see this becoming a important debate.

Ukip Civil War continues in Wales.

The Civil War amongst  UKIP  in Wales  continues  leader Nathan Gill will not stand down from his MEP role, saying those making the call are doing it out of "malice".

In a letter leaked to BBC Wales, UKIP chairman Steve Crowther asked Mr Gill to honour a commitment to stand down as an MEP now he is an AM for North Wales.

Mr Gill described the situation as "a proxy war" between the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) and loyalists of former leader Nigel Farage.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement programme, Mr Gill said he does not take home two pay packets.
"My AM salary is deducted from my MEP salary and after taxation, my take-home pay is less than before," he said.
But he said he would not stand down from the MEP role because there is nobody to replace him - the second person on UKIP's Welsh MEP list has left the party while the third and fourth are now AMs themselves.
"They are not going to give up a Welsh Assembly job for a two year job [in Brussels],".
"There would be a by-election and we would probably lose.
"More than half of the population of Wales wanted us to leave the EU.
"I am the only Welsh MEP who wants us to leave the EU. More than ever, there is a responsibility to make sure Article 50 [official notice of the UK's decision to leave the EU] is invoked and reported back to the people of Wales."

In the letter, sent on 6 July, Mr Crowther said the NEC resolved that MEPs should not "double job" as AMs and it had received assurances from Mr Gill this would not be done.

But Mr Gill said: 

"It is part of a proxy war between the NEC and loyalists of Nigel Farage.
"It was an act of malice that the letter was leaked for political reasons, a way of damaging the legacy of Nigel Farage and a way of damaging me."

He vowed to keep the MEP role saying it was "just the odd person in my party" who wants him to step down.

Mr Gill will act as running mate to English MEP Steven Woolfe, who is bidding to replace Mr Farage as party leader.

He described it as "our moment" and said UKIP could make "huge gains" in the coming years, with more people turning to the party.

The North Wales AM also said the NEC should be replaced by a different body - something that is in the manifestos of candidates vying to replace Mr Farage.

I am not sure if there would be By-election  if  Mr Gill  was to stand down as a MEP

As he says the list they presented at the Euro Election is exhausted  . But maybe they follow the same rules as the Assembly list system

I f there are no further candidates from that party, then the seat will remain vacant until the next Welsh general election.

If course there will not be  another Euro Election in the UK as we leave.

But a By-election   for a Euro seat would prove interesting because it would in effect e seen as  mini referendum .,

It could be argued that anything that kept Ukip members away from the Siambr  would be welcome .

In the past MPs elected to the Assembly kept their seats  and in the early days of the Assembly that may well have proved useful but there should be no double jobbers in the Assembly .

You can't complain about the workload and moonlight at the same time.

Its a pity that this important issue has becomes part of a power struggle  within Ukip  and not  a general debate on how Legislators  carry out their duties to those who elected them.

,