Farage wants DUP alliance to force a EU referendum

The UK Independence Party leader forecast that the Tories will be the biggest party in the Commons after the general election in May.

But he warned that they would fall short of an overall majority, giving an alliance of Ukip and Ulster's Democratic Unionist Party huge influence at Westminster.

Mr Farage also promised to press for "big tax cuts" for the lowest paid to "give people real incentives to get off benefit and get back to work."

His latest indication of Ukip's demands in a hung Parliament after the election came in an interview on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show this morning.

Asked about the make-up of the Commons after polling day, the leader of the anti-Brussels party said: "At the end of the day, this is all about numbers, isn’t it?

"I mean I still believe that the Conservatives will be the biggest party – not least of which is because Alex Salmond’s party is doing so well in Scotland – and I think between UKIP and possibly the DUP in Northern Ireland as well, there will be a body of MPs there to have significant influence and to force a referendum on our EU membership."

Mr Farage predicted that David Cameron's proposed renegotiation of Britain's EU membership deal would fail.

As a result, only a strong Eurosceptic force in Parliament could ensure that the planned in-or-out EU referendum could go ahead.

Mr Farage also revealed that Ukip are planning major cuts in tax for the low paid as a key part of their general election manifesto.

He called for "big tax cuts at the bottom meaning no tax on minimum wage to give people real incentives to get off benefit and get back to work."

Scrapping inheritance tax will also be a key Ukip manifesto pledge, he said.

"Oh inheritance tax, we want to get rid of it, absolutely.

"You know that is dragging in far too many people for whom this tax was never ever designed," Mr Farage said.

A Ukip aspiration to cut the 45% top rate of income tax paid by those earning over £150,000 a year was "not a first stage priority," he said.

"Taking down top rate tax is not our priority and will not be in our manifesto in this election campaign.

"Ultimately it’s a longer term goal, but it’s the struggling Britons that we really think need help," the Ukip leader.

Mr Farage also promised to be "ruthless" in getting rid of Ukip candidates involved in wrongdoing.

A party disciplinary committee is today due to consider the fate of Ukip MEP Janice Atkinson, also the party's parliamentary candidate in Folkestone and Hythe, after her chief of staff was caught on camera apparently asking for an inflated invoice to claim on European expenses.

Kent Police is investigating the incident involving Ms Atkinson's chief of staff, Christine Hewitt.

The disciplinary panel will examine whether there was any wrongdoing by the MEP, with a decision likely to be made by the end of the day.

Mr Farage said the session would "establish what the link was between that member of staff and Janice Atkinson".

He said "without a shadow of a doubt" Ms Atkinson should stand down as a candidate if she knew about the receipt negotiation.

"I have been utterly ruthless as Ukip leader with people who've stepped over the line, whether it's with financial mismanagement or whether it's saying things that frankly have erred towards racism. I have been ruthless at getting rid of people," Mr Farage said.