David Rowlands, the Assembly member for South Wales East, has welcomed the selection of UKIP’s new leader in the National Assembly of Wales.
Mr Rowlands, from Argoed, said he was surprised Gareth Bennett had been selected, but welcomed his anti-political correctness stance.
Mr Bennett, 49, from Cardiff, has previously blamed Eastern European immigrants for rubbish in Cardiff, and in December 2017, he was banned from speaking in the Senedd after saying transgender people undermine society by their “deviation from the norm”.
Speaking to Caerphilly Observer, Mr Rowlands said: “The selection was a surprising one. I get on well with Gareth personally and I look forward to supporting him in his new role.
“He has shown himself to be a courageous AM who is not averse to voicing opinions on sometimes controversial topics. This stance reflects UKIP’s general commitment to free speech and anti-political correctness.”
Mr Bennett, who represents the South Wales Central region, beat former leaders Neil Hamilton and Caroline Jones in an election that saw ordinary party members choose their leader in Wales for the first time.
Mr Bennett, 49, from Cardiff, has previously blamed Eastern European immigrants for rubbish in Cardiff as well as saying transgender people undermined society by their “deviation from the norm”.
UKIP won seven seats in the 2016 Assembly Elections, but the group has since shrunk to five following a period of turmoil and infighting.
The party won 19% of votes in Caerphilly in the 2015 UK General Election, 22% of votes in Caerphilly in the 2015 Welsh Assembly Elections and 3% of votes in Caerphilly in the 2017 UK General Election.