Gareth Bennett (politician)

Gareth Bennett
Bennett in 2016
Leader of the UK Independence Party
in the Senedd
In office
10 August 2018 – 7 November 2019
LeaderNeil Hamilton
Preceded byCaroline Jones
Succeeded byNeil Hamilton
Member of the Senedd
for South Wales Central
In office
5 May 2016 – 29 April 2021
Preceded byEluned Parrott
Succeeded byRhys ab Owen
Personal details
Born (1968-12-01) 1 December 1968 (age 55)
Cardiff, Wales
Political partyIndependent (2019–2020; 2021)
Abolish the Welsh Assembly (2020 - 2021)
UK Independence Party (2014–2019)
Alma materMiddlesex Polytechnic
Cardiff Institute of Higher Education

Gareth John Bennett MS (born 1 December 1968) is a Welsh politician who served as the Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in the Senedd from 2018 to 2019, and was a Member of the Senedd (MS) for South Wales Central from 2016 to 2021.[1]

On 10 August 2018 he was elected the leader of UKIP in the Senedd.[2] On 7 November 2019, he quit UKIP to become an independent. On 24 June 2020, he joined Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party.[3] In April 2021, Bennett decided to stand as an independent candidate in the Senedd election of that year, unsuccessfully contesting the Cynon Valley constituency.[4]

  1. ^ "Welsh Election 2016: Labour just short as UKIP wins seats". BBC News. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Outspoken AM voted UKIP assembly leader". BBC News. 10 August 2018.
  3. ^ Hayward, Will (24 June 2020). "A Member of the Senedd has joined the Abolish the Assembly party". walesonline. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  4. ^ "Fresh calls for BBC to drop Abolish from leaders' debate after candidates withdraw". Nation.Cymru. 6 April 2021.

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