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| UKIP Wales will help pick assembly candidates, says Farage. | UKIP Wales will help pick assembly candidates, says Farage. |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| UKIP leader Nigel Farage has insisted the Welsh party will help decide key candidates for the assembly election. | UKIP leader Nigel Farage has insisted the Welsh party will help decide key candidates for the assembly election. |
| Former UKIP candidates have warned against allowing high profile figures from outside Wales to stand in 2016 in the most winnable seats. | Former UKIP candidates have warned against allowing high profile figures from outside Wales to stand in 2016 in the most winnable seats. |
| Mr Farage said representatives from the "national party and from Wales" would pick the regional list candidates. | Mr Farage said representatives from the "national party and from Wales" would pick the regional list candidates. |
| He was speaking to BBC Wales before the start of UKIP's annual conference, in Doncaster, on Friday. | He was speaking to BBC Wales before the start of UKIP's annual conference, in Doncaster, on Friday. |
| Ex-MPs Mark Reckless and Neil Hamilton, and Mr Farage's head of media Alexandra Phillips, are all applying to stand as regional list candidates, who are elected using a form of proportional representation. | Ex-MPs Mark Reckless and Neil Hamilton, and Mr Farage's head of media Alexandra Phillips, are all applying to stand as regional list candidates, who are elected using a form of proportional representation. |
| The names on those lists - UKIP's best chance of winning its first-ever seats in Cardiff Bay - will be picked by a central committee, rather than local UKIP branches. | The names on those lists - UKIP's best chance of winning its first-ever seats in Cardiff Bay - will be picked by a central committee, rather than local UKIP branches. |
| But Mr Farage said: "We've got representatives from the national party and from Wales making those selections. | But Mr Farage said: "We've got representatives from the national party and from Wales making those selections. |
| "We're much newer; you know, the Labour Party have been standing for over a century, they know their people before they make the selections. We're very much newer. | "We're much newer; you know, the Labour Party have been standing for over a century, they know their people before they make the selections. We're very much newer. |
| "Five years ago in Wales UKIP hardly existed; now we've got a whole load of new people, and what we've chosen to do is go through a proper, professional vetting process, so we can put people before the electorate that we know will be good representatives." | "Five years ago in Wales UKIP hardly existed; now we've got a whole load of new people, and what we've chosen to do is go through a proper, professional vetting process, so we can put people before the electorate that we know will be good representatives." |
| He said any UKIP AMs elected in May would offer "constructive criticism" and would try to "break up a consensus, a very cosy consensus" in Cardiff Bay. | He said any UKIP AMs elected in May would offer "constructive criticism" and would try to "break up a consensus, a very cosy consensus" in Cardiff Bay. |
| But Mr Farage said it would be "ridiculous" to discuss any possible post-election deals with other parties with polling day still several months away. | But Mr Farage said it would be "ridiculous" to discuss any possible post-election deals with other parties with polling day still several months away. |
| He said: "There are Catalans in Madrid, there are UKIP-ers in Strasbourg, there are SNP types at Westminster who do not believe in the existence of those chambers at all. | He said: "There are Catalans in Madrid, there are UKIP-ers in Strasbourg, there are SNP types at Westminster who do not believe in the existence of those chambers at all. |
| "We do believe that Wales needs the right devolved settlement and, yes, we will play our constructive part." | "We do believe that Wales needs the right devolved settlement and, yes, we will play our constructive part." |
| Commenting on the selection of candidates for the regional lists, UKIP's Welsh leader Nathan Gill admitted voters might be put off by non-Welsh candidates. | Commenting on the selection of candidates for the regional lists, UKIP's Welsh leader Nathan Gill admitted voters might be put off by non-Welsh candidates. |
| He told BBC Radio Wales: "Without a doubt in Wales that is a factor, we've got to take that into consideration. | He told BBC Radio Wales: "Without a doubt in Wales that is a factor, we've got to take that into consideration. |
| "We're trying to get together not individuals elected but a team elected, and it's important for us that we get the right team for Wales." | "We're trying to get together not individuals elected but a team elected, and it's important for us that we get the right team for Wales." |
| Mr Gill said UKIP Wales would like to be left to itself, without interference from London, "to some extent" but "the reality is that we are a UK independence party, there has to be some give and take". | Mr Gill said UKIP Wales would like to be left to itself, without interference from London, "to some extent" but "the reality is that we are a UK independence party, there has to be some give and take". |
| He said he would be disappointed if UKIP won fewer than five assembly seats, and predicted the party might win as many as seven. |