AM Mandy Jones suspended from UKIP after Hamilton remarks

Mandy Jones became an AM for North Wales after Nathan Gill resigned in December

An AM for north Wales has been suspended from UKIP after she criticised former party group leader Neil Hamilton.

Mandy Jones had already been blocked from joining the Senedd group earlier in the year and sits as an independent.

But she has now been accused of "damaging" UKIP after saying Mr Hamilton was unsuitable for the role of assembly commissioner.

A spokesman for Ms Jones said she stood by what she said.

Ms Jones's objection to the appointment of Mr Hamilton - who remains UKIP Wales leader despite not leading the group in the assembly - triggered a vote in the assembly, which saw the nomination voted down by 31 AMs to 17.

Mr Hamilton had been nominated by UKIP for the role on the commission, which administers the assembly.

She opposed the nomination because of the Mid and West Wales AM's decision to abstain on the interim anti-harassment policy in the assembly.

In an email party secretary Adam Richardson said Ms Jones's speech last week was "damaging to Mr Hamilton and to the larger party in Wales, which is in desperate need of unity."

He said the resulting press publicity was "all... quite unnecessary and extremely harmful at a temperamental time".

Ms Jones now faces an emergency disciplinary hearing, which she will be able to attend.

'UKIP has lost nothing'

A spokesman for Mandy Jones said: "Mandy Jones stands by what she said in the Chamber last week and has no regrets. The majority agreed with her.

"UKIP has lost nothing - they simply need to field an appropriate candidate for the role."

The North Wales AM joined the assembly last December after UKIP Wales MEP Nathan Gill resigned.

She was prevented from joining the UKIP group in the assembly amid a row over her staff - leaving her as an independent.