THE surprise election of Gareth Bennett as Ukip's leader in the Assembly symbolises the legitimisation of the far right in Wales.

What's emerged in the two years since the party first won representation in the Assembly in 2016 has been very much a tale of two Ukips.

The first, made up of South Wales Central AM Mr Bennett, former MP and game show contestant Neil Hamilton and North Wales' Michelle Brown, is cut from the same cloth as Nigel Farage - brash, controversial and not particularly in line with modern-day thinking on issues of equality.

The other, comprised of Gwent's own David Rowlands and Caroline Jones - as well as Mark Reckless, who left the party last year to join the Conservative group and Mandy Jones, who never formally joined the Assembly group following a row around her staff, at least comes across as far more reasonable. It would be understandable not to agree with their views regarding Europe, but they at least seem willing to listen to other's views.

The coup against Mr Hamilton staged by Ms Jones in May suggested the party was ready to build bridges and be taken seriously as a political force in Wales. But now the election of the unashamedly far-right Mr Bennett seems to put a torch to all those bridges.

Now a man who was banned from speaking in the Assembly after refusing to apologise for claiming during a debate on transgender rights that society was at risk of "total implosion" as a result of "deviation from the norm", who blamed immigrants for litter problems in Cardiff, and just last week described Muslim women wearing face covering as “apparitions of pre-medieval culture” not only has a far more prominent platform to air his views but a position of some influence within the Assembly.

The free speech advocate in me says he's entitled to have his views and express them. But, in my opinion, views like his have no place in modern Wales and the fact that he will now get the opportunity to spout his bile during First Ministers Questions every week is deeply regrettable, to put it mildly.

But the fact that party members voted for him - albeit with an almost laughably small turnout - means his views can't be dismissed out of hand - they apparently represent at least a segment of Welsh society.

For his part, Mr Bennett has said he believes he won the vote as a result of his policy to abolish the Welsh Assembly - and to some extent I'm sure he's right. But there's no way a decent number of the 269 who voted for him didn't look at his views on Islam, immigration and transgender rights and think 'that's who I want in charge'.

The election of Ukip to the Assembly in 2016 was largely put down to the fact that the vote was held just six weeks before the EU referendum, and therefore Brexit was right at the front of everyone's minds.

Many have suggested it's likely the surge of support the party enjoyed in 2016 isn't likely to be repeated in 2021 and therefore its unlikely we'll see any Ukip AMs in the next Assembly. But the past few years have shown us never to count out the right, and the anti-establishment stance being taken by Mr Bennett could well work in the party's favour.

Now more than ever we need Labour and the other parties in the Assembly to stand up to Mr Bennett's divisive views and show the world Wales is an open and welcoming nation.

- Of course, this is just the first of a series of leadership elections in Wales.

The Welsh Conservatives will be next to announce their new leader - with the result expected early in September.

Whether Preseli Pembrokeshire's Paul Davies or South Wales West's Suzy Davies win the contest, the result isn't likely to be quite as controversial as Ukip's, but there's still time for everything to go wrong.

We'll find out whether Leanne Wood has held onto control in Plaid Cymru, or whether Adam Price or Rhun ap Iorwerth will be taking over, at the end of September, while we'll have to wait a bit longer to find out who will succeed Carwyn Jones as first minister.

So far only Mark Drakeford and Vaughan Gething have obtained enough nominations to actually make it onto the ballot. And bookie's favourite Mr Drakeford has received so many nominations it seems inevitable one or more of the other candidates - Alun Davies, Eluned Morgan and Huw Irranca-Davies - will have to drop out of the race.

I know many in the party who would be disappointed not to see a woman on the ballot, but Ms Morgan's supporters have their work cut out for them getting her there.

And Mr Davies and Mr Irranca-Davies will certainly have a battle on their hands hoovering up the remaining nominations.

Who will be first to drop? Time will tell.