Neil Hamilton speaks at Brexit Betrayal rally
Ukip AM Neil Hamilton shared a stage with Tommy Robinson at an anti-Brexit event in London at the weekend.
The event, called Brexit Betrayal, took place on Sunday, when the English Defence League founder, now a Ukip adviser, marched with supporters through the streets of London before addressing a rally beside Parliament Square.
Amid fears of violence, Scotland Yard placed restrictions on the march as well as on a counter-demonstration organised by Labour supporters and anti-fascists.
Labour grassroots group Momentum said about 15,000 turned up to oppose Mr Robinson’s march, claiming opponents “vastly” outnumbered the Ukip-led demonstrators. Police did not provide estimates of crowd sizes.
According to the party’s website, Mr Hamilton is the Ukip leader in Wales while Gareth Bennett is leader in the Assembly.
During his speech, Mr Robinson said: “I was not one of the main campaigners for Brexit. I diverted all my time and attention to the Islamisation of this nation”.
“The reality is, while we’re governed by Brussels, all the problems I speak about, all the problems that I raise, cannot be solved and cannot be sorted, unless we govern our our own country...
“I also want to say a thank you to Ukip, to [Ukip leader] Gerard Batten, to Nigel Farage, and thank you to everyone who fought, because many people... spent 25 years dedicating their lives to bringing us out, to that referendum.
“They gave their lives and worked tirelessly and now they’re being slandered and attacked.”
He added: “Gerard and Ukip can be a voice for the working-class communities, when no other politician will talk about Islam, no other politician will talk about issues that bring fear... to our country.”
Mr Hamilton greeted the audience by saying “Prynhawn da i chi gyd, as we say in Wales”.
He went on: “When Tommy Robinson finished up his speech earlier on, he said he was going to give way to the people who spent 25 years of their life to fighting the EU. Now, I know I don’t look it, but I’m old enough to be able to say I spent the last 50 years fighting the EU...
“Well, I never thought we actually would get the referendum in my lifetime, but of course it’s not over yet. The Remain establishment at all levels are doing their damnedest to reverse the result of the last one because they will never accept the decision of the British people...
“Wales voted to leave the European Union as well in that referendum... Listen to the results from some of those old mining valley constituencies, places the Labour Party is used to weighing the votes rather than counting them. The Rhondda voted 54% to leave, Port Talbot 57% to leave, Torfaen 60%, Ebbw Vale 62%. Every one of those constituencies is represented by a Remainer Labour MP. Every single Labour member of the Assembly voted to remain. Every single Plaid Cymru, Welsh nationalist, member voted to remain.
“The one Liberal Democrat who survived the last election voted to remain. Seven out of the 12 Conservatives voted to remain. We have 60 members of the Welsh Assembly, only 11 of them voted to leave.”
He ended his speech saying: “We’re here to tell them today, ‘Your time is up.’”