Questions over why Ukip's candidates in Wales are not Welsh themselves have "an unpleasant nationalist tone," Nigel Farage has said.
The Ukip leader was in the country on Monday to debate the EU with Welsh Labour leader Carwyn Jones, ahead of a campaign by the party to win its first seats in the Welsh Assembly.
Ukip won nearly 14% of the vote in Wales in last year's general election but won no seats under the First Past The Post system. But the party stands to do well out of the assembly's alternative vote system.
Appearing on Channel 4 News on Monday night, Farage denied his party was "an English party with a Welsh add-on" when it was pointed out candidates potentially standing in Wales could include former Conservative Rochester MP Mark Reckless or fellow former Tory Neil Hamilton.
"There is a slightly unpleasant nationalist tone to this, I don't like it very much," Farage told Channel 4 News' Andy Davies.
"We are a Welsh party. We've got a vibrant Welsh party. That's why we did so well. There's [a candidate] from Bangladesh. Should I get rid of him as well?"
The comment amused some on Twitter, who accused Farage of hypocrisy, equating Ukip's anti-EU message to nationalism.
Sorry, did Nigel Farage just complain on @Channel4News about a "slight nationalist tinge" in Wales?! #BitRich #Glasshouse
— Dermot O'Riordan (@dermotor) January 11, 2016Nigel farage complaining about nationalist tones lol
— ilemi amba arrindell (@LemonJunkie) January 11, 2016Nigel Farage alleging a 'slightly unpleasant nationalist tone' Surely not #C4News
— Michael (@TheRightArticle) January 11, 2016Also Farage saying there’s an ugly whiff of nationalism in Wales is a bit rich considering he IS an ugly whiff of nationalism. #C4news
— ЛОРД ПЕРСИ (@Lord_Percy) January 11, 2016"There's a slightly nationalistic tone to all this - and I don't like it." Farage breaks the ironymeter... #c4news
— Tom Keane (@keane_tk) January 11, 2016After Farage's debate with Jones, ITV Wales conducted a Twitter poll asking who had won. A total of 79% believed Farage had.
Twitter poll after @ITVWales debate finds 79% thought @Nigel_Farage won, just 21% came out for @fmwales
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) January 11, 2016
