The demand from West Midlands MEP Bill Etheridge comes after UKIP secured a place in an ITV debate featuring the leaders of the Tories, Labour and Liberal Democrats.

Sky News Channel 4 will have a head to head between David Cameron and Ed Miliband as the two leaders vying to become Prime Minister, chaired by Jeremy Paxman

And the BBC is going to have a debate that also features Nick Clegg, the leader of the Lib Dems, chaired by David Dimbleby.

Julie Etchingham will front the ITV debate where all the leaders will debate.

Mr Farage said the proposals recognised 'growing support' for his party.

But Mr Etheridge called for broadcasters to go further and argued it should be the Lib Dems fighting to keep their place after losing their deposits in seven by-elections since 2010 in which they failed to win at least five per cent of the vote.

He said: "I'm pleased that Nigel has rightly been given a place in a national televised debate.

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UKIP's Bill Etheridge

"But he really should be in more than one.

"The Lib Dems might be in government but they are going to struggle to hold on to more than a handful of their seats.

"They were almost wiped out in the European elections, which we won.

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"If anything, it should be the Lib Dems arguing to keep their place in the debates, not UKIP arguing to be given one.

"At the very least, the broadcasters should consider what a ratings winner it will be to have Nigel on."

There are also calls for other parties to be represented in the debates.

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Nikki Sinclaire, the former MEP who was originally elected for UKIP but then formed her own pro-referendum party, added: "The Greens have an MP, elected at the General Election, and should be included for fairness."

UKIP is celebrating after winning a seat in Westminster in a by-election last week, with former Tory Douglas Carswell holding the seat for his new party.

Mr Farage said: "The decision is better than it could have been. It does at least recognise the increasing popularity of UKIP.

"However if the political landscape continues to change we would expect and ask for inclusion in a second debate."

The Lib Dems rejected the suggestion that they should be excluded from one debate.

"The Liberal Democrats have long argued that the debates last time round were of huge benefit to our democratic process and engaged millions of voters," a spokesman said.

Moderator David Dimblebly (far left), with from left, David Cameron, Nick Clegg, and the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, after the final 2010 election debate

"The Liberal Democrats therefore welcome the fact that the broadcasters are seeking to make progress to ensure that the debates happen again in 2015.

"The Liberal Democrats, like the Labour party, have publicly said that we would be prepared to sign up to the same 3-3-3 system we had in 2010.

"We do not accept the proposal that the Liberal Democrats, as a party of government, should be prevented from defending our record in one of the TV debates.

"That is the case we will make strongly in the negotiations that will now take place and we urge the other parties to join us around the negotiating table without excuse or delay.

In August, Nigel Farage visited the Express & Star to answer readers questions

A statement from the broadcasters said the debates were "vital in engaging voters with the political process". The three encounters at the last election, each featuring the Tory, Labour and Lib Dem leaders, were watched by 22 million people.

"The broadcasters intend to transmit the leaders' debates live for all their extensive audiences, on air, online and on social media, which together have a mass reach amongst the British population," the statement said.

Mr Farage was widely seen as emerging victorious from two debates with Mr Clegg on the EU in the run-up to European elections earlier this year.

Last week Mr Clegg accused Mr Cameron of 'foot-dragging' over encounters during the general election campaign.

"The Tories should come clean - if they want to run scared, they should say they don't want to do them, but not this endless ducking and weaving. I think people want the TV debates.

"The more people can see how the leaders measure up against each other, the better."