Nigel Farage has declared – not for the first time – that he would “do a deal with the devil” in order to achieve a referendum on Europe as he defended controversial remarks he made about Romanians.

Mr Farage, who appeared more collected on BBC Radio 4's Today programme than in last week's 'car-crash' radio interview with LBC host James O'Brien, said if his party's MPs held the balance of power, he would "do a deal with the devil" to ensure that there was a referendum on Europe - a signal that he would be prepared to support a minority Tory or Labour administration on the issue.

Ahead of Thursday's European and local elections, he said: "I would do a deal, post the next election, I would help a minority party in Westminster, I would do a deal with the devil in those circumstances if it got us a referendum."

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This vow is one the Ukip leader has made repeatedly throughout his campaign, first making the pledge in January where he told Sky News: “I would do a deal with the devil, if it got us what we need,” before repeating it in February when discussing his desire for a referendum on Europe.

Shape Created with Sketch. Ukip gaffes and controversies Show all 18 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Ukip gaffes and controversies 1/18 European elections poster Party's latest EU election posters branded 'racist' and compared to BNP campaigns Rex 2/18 Farage 'car-crash' interview Ukip spin doctor forced to intervene as Farage falters in disastrous radio interview 3/18 Neil Hamilton Picture Exclusive: The year is 1998. The venue is a Springbok Club meeting. The flag is a symbol for white supremacists in South Africa. And the speaker is Ukip’s deputy chairman, Neil Hamilton 4/18 Kerry Smith Kerry Smith resigned as would-be MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock after it emerged he had mocked gay party members as “disgusting poofters”, joked about shooting people from Chigwell in a “peasant hunt” and referred to someone with a Chinese name as a “Chinky bird” PA 5/18 Natasha Bolter Former Ukip member Natasha Bolter was suspected of not having the teaching qualifications she professed to, only days after it was revealed that claims of her having attended Oxford University were also false PA 6/18 Ukip Calypso song Mike Reid released a single in praise of UKIP trying to control the UK's borders, only to withdraw the single after being accused of racism for singing in a Jamaican accent 7/18 Janice Atkinson Janice Atkinson, Ukip's South East chair, pictured by protesters while campaigning in Ashford, Kent with local party chair Norman Taylor Facebook/Maria Pizzey 8/18 Ukip cancels Freephone Ukip cancels Freephone number after protesters repeatedly called to push up costs Getty Images 9/18 Farage 'car-crash' interview Mr Farage appeared to be caught out on a number of issues, from Romanian neighbours to people speaking foreign languages on the train 10/18 Ukip employs illegal immigrants Ukip criticised after European election candidate found employing illegal immigrants AP 11/18 Magnus Nielsen Ukip candidate: 'Take away the right to vote to improve election turnout' Getty Images 12/18 Poster model A “British builder” portrayed in a Ukip poster accusing EU workers of taking UK jobs turns out to be an Irish actor - aka a migrant worker 13/18 'Arrest protesters' Ukip called for police to arrest protesters ‘who call us fascists’ ahead of showdown with anti-fascist groups in Brighton 14/18 London Live make-up Ukip's Nigel Farage reportedly refused to go on London Live 'without professional make up-artist' Reuters 15/18 Andre Lampitt Ukip forced to suspend the "poster boy" of its European election broadcast, after it was revealed he had posted a series of vile racist comments on Twitter 16/18 Expenses Nigel Farage says he is taking taking legal advice over “outrageous” allegations that he is responsible for more than £50,000 of “missing” EU funding that was paid directly into his personal bank account 17/18 Have I Got News For You Nigel Farage appears in Have I Got News For You, spends the entire episode being ridiculed over expenses and party 'fruitcakes' BBC 18/18 Anti-gay comments Local branch chairman for Ukip defends a party's councillor candidate Douglas Denny who called gay people “abnormal” and said he wished “they stop trying to ram it down my throat”, all while discussing whether the word “sodomite” should be used 1/18 European elections poster Party's latest EU election posters branded 'racist' and compared to BNP campaigns Rex 2/18 Farage 'car-crash' interview Ukip spin doctor forced to intervene as Farage falters in disastrous radio interview 3/18 Neil Hamilton Picture Exclusive: The year is 1998. The venue is a Springbok Club meeting. The flag is a symbol for white supremacists in South Africa. And the speaker is Ukip’s deputy chairman, Neil Hamilton 4/18 Kerry Smith Kerry Smith resigned as would-be MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock after it emerged he had mocked gay party members as “disgusting poofters”, joked about shooting people from Chigwell in a “peasant hunt” and referred to someone with a Chinese name as a “Chinky bird” PA 5/18 Natasha Bolter Former Ukip member Natasha Bolter was suspected of not having the teaching qualifications she professed to, only days after it was revealed that claims of her having attended Oxford University were also false PA 6/18 Ukip Calypso song Mike Reid released a single in praise of UKIP trying to control the UK's borders, only to withdraw the single after being accused of racism for singing in a Jamaican accent 7/18 Janice Atkinson Janice Atkinson, Ukip's South East chair, pictured by protesters while campaigning in Ashford, Kent with local party chair Norman Taylor Facebook/Maria Pizzey 8/18 Ukip cancels Freephone Ukip cancels Freephone number after protesters repeatedly called to push up costs Getty Images 9/18 Farage 'car-crash' interview Mr Farage appeared to be caught out on a number of issues, from Romanian neighbours to people speaking foreign languages on the train 10/18 Ukip employs illegal immigrants Ukip criticised after European election candidate found employing illegal immigrants AP 11/18 Magnus Nielsen Ukip candidate: 'Take away the right to vote to improve election turnout' Getty Images 12/18 Poster model A “British builder” portrayed in a Ukip poster accusing EU workers of taking UK jobs turns out to be an Irish actor - aka a migrant worker 13/18 'Arrest protesters' Ukip called for police to arrest protesters ‘who call us fascists’ ahead of showdown with anti-fascist groups in Brighton 14/18 London Live make-up Ukip's Nigel Farage reportedly refused to go on London Live 'without professional make up-artist' Reuters 15/18 Andre Lampitt Ukip forced to suspend the "poster boy" of its European election broadcast, after it was revealed he had posted a series of vile racist comments on Twitter 16/18 Expenses Nigel Farage says he is taking taking legal advice over “outrageous” allegations that he is responsible for more than £50,000 of “missing” EU funding that was paid directly into his personal bank account 17/18 Have I Got News For You Nigel Farage appears in Have I Got News For You, spends the entire episode being ridiculed over expenses and party 'fruitcakes' BBC 18/18 Anti-gay comments Local branch chairman for Ukip defends a party's councillor candidate Douglas Denny who called gay people “abnormal” and said he wished “they stop trying to ram it down my throat”, all while discussing whether the word “sodomite” should be used

Mr Farage, who was questioned on his claim that he would feel uncomfortable if a group of Romanian people moved in next door during his LBC interview, had appeared on Good Morning Britain earlier in the morning and insisted he had nothing against Romanians. Instead, he claimed the "hysteria" over Romanians had actually been "stirred up" by the tabloid press and not by himself.

"When I said would people be concerned if a group of Romanian men moved in next door, these were newspaper headlines, run by our biggest tabloids, week after week, that is what stirred up the hysteria, not me," he asserted.

"I didn't say I would be worried, I didn't say people should be worried, I said people would be worried, because they had read all this stuff in the newspapers and they have seen the crime statistics."

"But I have got a problem with Romania, a very big problem with Romania," he added. "I have been there, there are three million people there in the Roma minority who are treated appallingly.

"They can't get jobs, they can't get housing, they live in the most extraordinary conditions. And they have fallen victim, many of them have fallen victim, to an organised crime gang network of a very serious dimension."

Mr Farage also denied being frightened and "bottling" the chance to attend the event in Croydon, south London, yesterday but admitted it was "probably a good job" he had not attended in view of events at the scene.

He claimed he has already been assaulted during the campaign after being hit over the head with a banner, "which was pretty nasty," and being hit by an egg, "which is not quite so bad".

When questioned over his use of bodyguards and exactly what “worried” him about ordinary members of the public, he replied: "These aren't ordinary members of the public, this is organised, these are funded organisations, predominantly backed by the trade unions, who actually want to stop me speaking. If you think about it, it isn't very democratic."