Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said he can never forgive the mainstream media for “demonising” him and his party, making it dangerous for him to even leave his house.

Appearing on ITV’s Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, he was asked about David Silvester, a former UKIP councillor who said the 2013 flooding was God’s punishment for gay marriage. “This was a deliberate media campaign to make UKIP out to be something that it wasn’t”, explained Mr. Farage.

Mr. Silverster had been a councillor for the Conservatives before defecting to UKIP, during which time he has said similar things without them ever being reported. Mr. Farage continued:

“It is because of these irrelevant people, who held no position, they happened to join an organisation, and because of these irrelevant people, being demonised by liberal media.

“I’ve had to live years, frankly, of being frightened of walking out into the street all because the media picked out these people. And because these people attempted to demonise me and give me a bad name,” Farage said.

“And you’re surprised three years on, when I have to live like a virtual prisoner, that I’m not happy about it? Will I ever forgive the British media for what they’ve done to me? No.”

WATCH | @Nigel_Farage on #LifeStories responding to @PiersMorgan‘s question, “Why were you so passionate about getting us out of the EU?” pic.twitter.com/3fUA3jlrZQ — LEAVE.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) February 24, 2017

Mr. Farage said UKIP’s aim was to advance “common-sense policies” in which people would “struggle to find anything” racist.

He was also questioned on former UKIP Member of the European Parliament, Godfrey Bloom, who was recorded using the phrase “Bongo Bongo Land”. Mr Farage said the wording was “wrong”, but Mr. Bloom’s wider point was correct.

“Was he right about us sending foreign aid to corrupt regimes all over the world when we could spend it better at home? Of course he was right”, he said.

When Mr. Morgan asked about rumours he could move to the U.S., Mr. Farage said he wouldn’t consider going anywhere until he is certain Brexit would be implemented fully.

Asked if he would ever consider running for Prime Minister, Mr. Farage added: “If this political class let us down on Brexit, then anything can happen.”

“I’ve got to see the Brexit process through, we won the war but we must win the peace. I’ll see out my time in the European Parliament, so I’ll be there until 2019,” he added.