A senior Conservative MEP has called for an electoral pact between his party and Ukip as the Eurosceptic insurgency looked set to top a national election for the first time.

British National Party leader Nick Griffin has been ousted as an MEP – but said Ukip supporters were racists who would turn back to his party when they realised Nigel Farage would not “send them all home”.

Nigel Farage today hailed a "remarkable" night for his UK Independence Party in local council elections, which he said put them in with a chance of securing a seat at Westminster.