UKIP in Wales a war zone, says Nathan Gill adviser

A former aide to Nigel Farage has defected to the Conservatives, despite remaining a media adviser to UKIP Wales leader and MEP Nathan Gill.

He had expected to lead the UKIP group in Cardiff Bay after May's assembly election, but the party's AMs chose Neil Hamilton instead.

Mr Gill now sits as an independent assembly member.

Alex Phillips, UKIP's head of media for two years, discussed her defection in a series of interviews on Friday, hours before the party's annual conference in Bournemouth opened.

She told BBC Wales UKIP had established a "foothold" in Wales after the assembly election, but described it as "a war zone".