UKIP leader Nigel Farage last night said that the chances of his party winning a seat in Scotland at the General Election were “a little remote”.

Farage’s comments came during an interview with STV’s Tonight programme.

The MEP, who is currently standing as a candidate in South Thanet, told the programme that he saw the general election as a “building block” towards UKIP gaining seats in the Scottish Parliament next year.

He said: “I see the General Election in Scotland as a staging post building on winning a seat in the European Parliament, but really getting ready for the Scottish parliamentary elections.

“The thought that Ukip are going to win seats in Westminster in Scotland this year is a little remote.”

He added that “as a building block to winning seats in the Scottish parliament, that is a completely realistic objective.

“That’s in the distance, you know ... at the moment we have done phenomenally well in Wales, we’ve got a presence in Stormont and in local government in Northern Ireland, and we have one MEP in Scotland.”