Nigel Farage: Ukip will hit 'double figures' at the general election despite 'Marmite' reaction

Nigel Farage has boldly predicted that Ukip will win at least 10 MPs at the general election, despite comparing his own popularity to Marmite.

The party currently has two MPs but Farage revealed that he expects Ukip to hit "double figures" after the hotly contested vote in May.

The Eurosceptic admitted to ITV's Loose Women that his party garners the same split popularity as Marmite but argued that he is not another "cardboard cut-out political figure".

The 50-year-old also accused David Cameron of "sabotaging" the TV debates after the prime minister issued an ultimatum that he would only attend one 90-minute long debate, with the leaders from the seven established parties.

"He's now said he'll do one debate, but he'll do it before the proper campaign starts, so it's not going to be a proper debate," Farage said.

"Had it been a four-headed debate, there were one or two conversations I wanted to have with the prime minister that I don't think he would have been able to answer, and I suspect that's why they've sabotaged."

The Ukip leader received a good a reception from the mid-afternoon show's audience, who laughed at his jokes and applauded his policy proposals.

The appearance comes after Ukip unveiled their Australian-style immigration plan ahead of the general election.

Farage explained that a Ukip government would not introduce an "arbitrary" figure and would increase the number of border staff by 2,500.

The proposal came after the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that net migration to the UK hit just under 300,000 last year – well above Cameron's target of "tens of thousands".