A VETERAN Plaid AM has been stripped of his role as a party spokesperson after he criticised comments made by its leader Leanne Wood about UKIP.

Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas will be replaced as Plaid’s spokesman on transport and as the party’s nominee as chairman of the National Assembly’s environment committee, Ms Wood said.

She said: “Plaid Cymru sought over the weekend to highlight the dangers posed to Wales by UKIP, because we fundamentally and sincerely believe that their politics and policies are not in the best interest of the people of our communities.

“Dafydd Elis-Thomas decided to publicly oppose this position without raising any concerns in advance.”

She added that the people of Wales deserved a “national party that is united in addressing the challenges our country faces”.

Alun Ffred Jones will be Plaid’s nominee for chair of the committee, while Rhun ap Iorwerth AM will be the Plaid’s transport spokesperson.

Leanne Wood had attacked UKIP at Plaid's Spring conference, saying a vote for the party was “a vote against Wales, a vote against the Welsh national interest.”

But afterwards former Plaid leader Lord Elis-Thomas had told the BBC: “If you keep making negative remarks to the electorate, the electorate would see you as negative.”