Nigel Farage has described David Cameron as “somebody we can sit down and talk to”, prompting Labour to claim their two parties were preparing a “poisonous proposition” to work together after the election.
The Ukip leader made his comments after the leaders’ TV debate showed no clear winner, leading to increased expectations that neither Labour nor theConservatives will be able to govern alone.
The Scottish National party (SNP) has more chance of being influential because it is forecast to take dozens of seats from Labour, while Ukip is expected to win only a handful.
Farage, however, hopes to secure enough to hold the prime minister’s feet to the fire over the issue of a referendum and potentially entice more defectors in the next parliament.
His latest comments are the most positive he has made about the prospect of a working relationship with Cameron, who once dismissed Ukip as a bunch of “fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists”. Only last October, Farage said: “I don’t trust David Cameron. I don’t believe a word David Cameron says and for that reason it would be fruitless to even enter into any negotiation.”
Last month, however, he changed his position to indicate that he could be prepared to think about a deal with the Tories in exchange for an early referendum on certain terms.
Speaking on Friday, Farage ruled out a pact with the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, but said the prime minister “at least has been forced into promising [a referendum], and so after the election he is somebody we can sit down and talk to”.
Sturgeon also appeared to raise the prospect of working with Labour during the TV debate, challenging Miliband to help her end austerity and roll back a tide of privatisation in the NHS.
Both the Ukip and SNP leaders appeared to outperform expectations, gaining more backing in the polls than the current overall level of support for their parties.
As a result, Labour and the Conservatives spent much of Thursday night and Friday trying to dismiss the need for an alliance with their smaller rivals.
Labour’s Caroline Flint said there would be no coalition with the SNP, while Michael Gove, the Tory chief whip, said “nein danke” to the idea of an alliance with Ukip.
The shadow health secretary, Andy Burnham, wrote an open letter to the prime minister challenging him to come clean over plans for a pact with Farage. He said it would spell the end of the NHS.
David and Samantha Cameron speak to first-time buyer Kelly Jeffers, right, in Chorley.
“Your deal with Ukip is a poisonous proposition that would deny working people the care they rely on from a service they cheris,” he wrote.
After Labour’s intervention, the defence secretary, Michael Fallon, then appeared to rule out the possibility of working with Ukip.
Neither Cameron nor Miliband, however, have ruled out the prospect of loose pacts. At the same time, both are trying to warn of a heightened risk that their opponents will club together.
In the debate, Farage won a snap half-time ComRes poll and tied with Cameron and Miliband in the Survation one, although he also proved the most divisive figure on rankings of who performed the best and worst. He triggered outrage after complaining about the NHS treating foreigners with HIV, comments that were condemned by all the party leaders except Cameron.
David Coburn, the Ukip MEP for Scotland, defended Farage’s remarks on Friday. Coburn recently sparked a row himself by referring to the Scottish government minister Humza Yousaf as Abu Hamza. He said Ukip had to be a bit more outspoken than other parties to attract attention.
“We have to be a little louder and a little more amusing or more clever in order to get our market share in the newspapers and also in the press, which tries to keep us out,” he told BBC Radio Scotland.
Douglas Carswell, the Ukip MP for Clacton, refused to confirm to the Telegraph that he endorsed the specific remarks about foreigners with HIV, but said it was “sensible and reasonable to say our health service should not be an international health service”.
A senior Ukip source said Farage’s remarks about HIV had been discussed before he went on stage and that it was “shock and awe” tactics that would appeal to the party’s core vote.
Farage was not the only party leader out on the campaign trail on Friday, trying to claim victory despite the inconclusive polls. Sturgeon was mobbed by supporters in Edinburgh, where she laughed off suggestions that the SNP should capitalise on her strong showing in the TV debate by fielding candidates south of the border.
Cameron and his wife Samantha visited a first-time homebuyer in Chorley, where he said he was delighted with last night’s debate.
“My impression of the debate is very much that there is one person, one leader, one party that is offering the competence of a long-term plan that is working and then there is a kind of coalition of chaos out there that wants more debt, spending and taxes,” he said.
“I was delighted with the debate. I am glad the poll of polls has got me coming out on top, but to me the real abiding impression was that I have a long-term plan that is working.”
Launching a poster in the Manchester constituency of Hazel Grove, the Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, said: “I certainly hope on my part that I was able to get the message across for the Liberal Democrats.”
Miliband spoke about his performance as he took his family on a visit to Liverpool.
“I was pleased I was able to set out the choice at this election and that’s what I’m going to do for the next five weeks – set out the election choice facing the British people, because they are the boss.
“They are the people that make this decision and I want to show to them how we can change this country to work for them.”
