Recordings have emerged of UKIP General Secretary Matthew Richardson using a slur to refer to transgender women.

Mr Richardson made a number of controversial comments while addressing right-wing groups in the US, which have emerged across the Sunday papers.

He appeared at one point to suggest the party was happy to support ‘bigots’, saying: “I’ve said before, people talk about UKIP being bigots.

“There are hundreds of thousands of bigots in the United Kingdom and they deserve representation.”

At a separate event he ripped into the National Health Service, which he labelled “the Reichstag bunker of socialism”, and attacked the provision of gender reassignment surgery.

He ranted: “I promise I’m not making this up – breast augmentation, hymen repair for those who want to be born-again virgins, is paid for by the National Health Service.

“Socialists think that if somebody wants to reassign their gender the state should pay, they think that’s how the world works. So if you love she-males come to the United Kingdom, if you love freedom – stay here [in the US].”

The politician told the Sunday Mirror: “I don’t recall the conversation taking place but some of the words attributed to me are actually a quote from the late [Tory MP] Eric Forth, which if they were spoken at all would have been on a discussion about him.

“None of this is reflective of my own views or those of the party and I am sure any reader would recognise the difference between a formal party position and the sort of jag lots of people have with their mates while having a drink.”

Nigel Farage told Andrew Marr: “It just shows you the depths this general election is sinking.

“The Tories, Labour, their friends in the media, any attempt to damage UKIP.

“If you’re expecting me to ban all UKIP officials from going into the pub and smiling and laughing and joking, it isn’t going to happen.”