A local farmer is one of the leading lights behind a new political party seeking the abolition of the National Assembly, which it says has "failed to deliver for the people of Wales".

Jonathon Harrington, from Tregoyd, is co-founder and treasurer of the Abolish The Welsh Assembly Party, which is also opposing an increase in the number of Senedd seats and further transfer of powers and advocating a return to the system of councillors and MPs running Welsh affairs.

A party statement said: "The Assembly is another expensive tier of Government which is totally unnecessary. We in Wales already have councillors, MPs, MEPs. How many tiers of government does Wales need?

"The cost of running The Assembly is very difficult to estimate. We are tempted to think this is deliberate as the figure would, no doubt, be truly shocking. Now we find that Welsh Assembly members are going to see their salaries increased to £64,000 in 2016. Assembly Cabinet ministers will get £100,000 pa. The First Minister’s salary is due to increase to near the level of Prime Minister David Cameron, £140,000 pa. The First Minister is only in charge of devolved issues covering Wales. When you consider the salaries of most people in Wales, this is outrageous. This, at a time when our Local Councils are facing huge cuts in services.

"Last year Wales was the only part of the UK to decrease spending on the NHS. Not only that, but Welsh patients were obliged to travel to England to receive life saying treatments not available in Wales.

"Senior members of NHS staff and many others have moved to England to receive treatments unavailable to them in Wales. Standards of Education in Welsh schools have fallen well behind other areas of the UK."

Mr Harrington said: "I have never stood for public election but am now so convinced that The Welsh Assembly is doing more harm than good for the people of Wales that it is essential that a party is formed to represent the views of the great but silent majority."