During his regular phone in with LBC radio Nigel Farage gave it business secretary Vince Cable with both barrels.

The Ukip leader slammed the Lid Dem cabinet minister saying we've got a "Marxist in charge of the business department".

Farage was answering a question referring to the privatisation of Royal Mail. He added that Cable had "made an absolute pig's ear of the sale of Royal Mail" and he (Cable) "was not fit for purpose".

Yesterday, Lord Myners released his report on the privatisation that was commissioned at the behest of the business secretary. The report concluded that the Royal Mail sale was undervalued by £180m.

The conversation with LBC's Nick Ferrari may turn out to be one of Farage's more controversial after he defended former Ukip candidate Kerry Smith's use of the word "chinky" referring to Chinese women by asking the question:

If you and your mates are going out for a Chinese, what do you say you’re going for?

He said he was saddened by Kerry Smith's resignation and praised him as a "rough diamond" but added that Kerry was not fit to be a parliamentary candidate.