Ukip leader 
hits back 
at clowns and racism 
claims

Government Minister Ken Clarke launched a savage attack and branded Ukip “clowns” as the parties prepare to go into the local elections on Thursday.

Ukip has accused the Conservatives of running a “morally reprehensible” smear campaign.

Mr Farage responded, saying: “They have lost the argument so Ken Clarke and others have decided that, rather than going for the ball, they are going to attack the player and that is exactly what this is about.”

Mr Farage, whose party is fielding 1,700 candidates in the council elections, said rival politicians are afraid of Ukip.

He said: “They know that the British public are genuinely concerned about opening up the door to Bulgaria and Romania next year.

“They are concerned because we have a million youngsters unemployed, we have wages being driven down and I am afraid a crime wave in London being caused by Romanians already.”

Ukip is investigating some of its 1,700 candidates over links to groups such as the BNP and alleged racist and homophobic comments.

Mr Farage, whose party has said it does not condone “unpalatable views”, said Ukip is “the only party in British politics who does not allow former members of the BNP to even join us as a member, let alone be a candidate”.

Mr Johnson has urged Tories not to panic over Ukip’s rise, insisting it could be a good thing.

Mr Johnson said Ukip’s rise suggested Conservative values were “broadly popular”, while Labour was “going nowhere”.

He also delivered an apparent rebuke to Ken Clarke for his “ill-advised insults” and said Mr Farage had always struck him as a “rather engaging geezer”.

He went on: “We Tories look at him – with his pint and cigar and sense of humour –and we instinctively recognise someone who is fundamentally indistinguishable from us.”