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UKIP leader Nigel Farage has defended Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson over the n-word row, saying it was "just typical" of the BBC star.

The controversial politician also said Prime Minister David Cameron was right in suggesting that his party membership contains "some idiots" as UKIP were themselves embroiled in their own new racism controversies.

The Top Gear star was seen in unbroadcast footage from the show, exclusively revealed in the Daily Mirror, to potentially use a racist term while reciting the children's rhyme 'eeny meeny miny moe".

He later insisted in a grovelling video apology that he did not use the racist term and mumbled instead, but that it may have sounded to some that he had in fact used the offending word

Clarkson later revealed he had been threatened with the sack by the BBC. Some MPs and celebrities have also called for his dismissal

He found an ally in Farage, however, with the UKIP leader saying: said: "The more controversial Jeremy Clarkson is, the more people watch his programme, and the more money the BBC makes out of marketing a show that sells globally and makes them a fortune.

"I would think it's just typical Clarkson, getting very, very close to the line of being offensive but perhaps not quite going over it."

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Mr Farage also admitted that Ukip has "some idiots" as he said controversial comments by a council election candidate were "entirely inconsistent" with being a member of the party.

The party leader responded to reports that Harry Perry, who is standing for the party in Offerton, Stockport, expressed extremist views on Twitter.

But Mr Farage claimed the media's reporting of what goes wrong in his party is "completely disproportionate".

On Mr Perry's Twitter account, @harryperry15, he calls for Pakistan to be "nuked", dubs David Cameron a "gay-loving nutcase", Muslims "devil's kids" and homosexuality an "abomination before god", the Manchester Evening News reported.

Mr Farage said: "I've never heard of the bloke until last night. I've no idea who he is.

"I think he comes from the north west of England. Clearly his attitude and views are entirely inconsistent with being a member of Ukip. Simple."

He added: "I could show you 14 elected councillors from the Lib Dem, Labour and Conservative parties who haven't just said nasty things they've been convicted this year of nasty things.

"And yet it never makes a national headline. I am not saying we haven't had our problems, we have.

"Every party has these kinds of problems but there is a completely disproportionate media spotlight on what goes wrong in Ukip compared to the others."

When asked what he thought of David Cameron's comments about not needing to discredit Ukip as they do a "good enough job themselves", Mr Farage laughed and said: "It was good clever politic. I'll give him that. Yeah, we've got some idiots.

"What is happening here is the establishment are singling out a handful of unpleasant comments made by Ukip people and yet the other parties do these things and say these things it would appear with impunity.

"The other thing Mr Cameron said is that I was a chicken. Well, I'll tell you what Dave, why don't you come on telly and do a debate with me?"

Mr Farage made the comments as he launched Ukip's billboard campaign for the Euro-elections against the backdrop of the cliffs of Dover.

The campaign poster features a picture of the famous landmark with an escalator running up the middle and the slogan: "No border. No control. The EU has opened our borders to 4,000 people every week."

The poster adds: "Take back control of our country."

The Ukip leader believes his party's "simple" message about immigration will get the public, if not politicians, talking.

"I've been trying over the course of the last few weeks to have a national debate on this issue.

"They point blank refuse to engage with me."