THERE was real change at the National Assembly for Wales last month. UKIP broke through into the Assembly for the first time with seven Assembly Members (AMs).

For too long on too many issues there has been a cosy consensus amongst the Cardiff Bay establishment.

UKIP were elected to challenge that cosy consensus. In South East Wales we are in a particularly strong position to do that, having elected two regional AMs, myself and David Rowlands, our transport spokesman.

Transport is a particularly important issue for the new Assembly and our part of Wales. We rely on the M4 and the two Severn road bridges as well as the GWR and South Wales mainline connected by the Severn rail tunnel.

Major maintenance works on the M4 pinch point at the Bryn Glas tunnels from June 20 will mean 8pm-6am night closures. The Severn tunnel will also be closed to trains for six weeks from September 12 to October 21, resulting in delays of an hour or more for many regular commuters.

Some will struggle to hold down a job in Bristol. Others who travel regularly to London for work may be able to try out a new Flybe service from Cardiff to London City Airport for the duration of the Severn tunnel closure.

I raised the failed governance of Network Rail in a debate in Parliament last year. David Rowlands and I now look forward to pushing the issue as AMs. The completion of electrification at least to Swansea of the South Wales mainline cannot happen soon enough.

UKIP also believe that the need for an M4 relief road is urgent. UKIP campaigned at the Welsh Assembly elections for the ‘Blue route’ using the Steelworks Road and dualling the A48, rather than the Welsh government’s preferred and hugely expensive ‘Black route’. We continue to believe the ‘Blue route’ is the best solution and will help promote it at the upcoming Public Inquiry.

Last week Parliament’s Welsh select committee met in Chepstow to discuss the Severn bridges. The cost of building the southern bridge should be repaid as early as autumn next year.

From that point the maintenance cost of the bridges would still need to be paid, but this should amount to no more than 50p to £1, and we believe this can be found from the normal highways budget. Therefore the tolls should be abolished from the end of next year. We will fight government plans to continues imposing tolls.