Watch: Nigel Farage interview on South Thanet, tactical voting, Douglas Carswell and those HIV comments

Nigel Farage has been mysteriously absent from the election campaign trail. In the latest Mini Election interview, I spoke to the Ukip leader about his race in South Thanet and whether he any regrets about choosing a seat that was not particularly Ukip-friendly. ‘None’, he said despite the ‘vitriolic campaign against me’. Farage added, ‘Don’t forget I stood here in 2005 and I’ve worked with this branch since 1999 to try and build it up.’

Nor does Farage regret saying he would stand down as Ukip leader if he fails to win South Thanet — arguing that ‘it’s the right thing to do’ and this fight is his Becher’s Brook. ‘There’s a fence there, I’ve got to clear it. If I don’t clear it, you know, then, life will change.’

Those HIV comments
Farage created a media storm during the seven-way leaders debate about the cost of anti-retroviral drugs. I asked him if he could see why people were annoyed with that particular example:

‘Yes.