General election – latest: Nigel Farage tells Nick Robinson he admired Putin

Nick Robinson asks who is allowed to come into the country under Reform UK’s policy for net zero immigration.

“L et’s go through, paramedics, midwives, pharmacists, carers for the elderly, they can all come in,” he asks.

Mr Farage responds: “Of course they can come in.”

He goes on to talk about students coming in, claiming they have brought with them 125,000 dependants.

Nick Robinson and Nigel Farage talk over Brexit, and its impact on immigration and the economy.

Mr Robinson says his cab driver to the show told him: “You tell Nigel, I voted leave and I regret it, because people like me are no better off.”

“I’m afraid that is what the Conservatives have done with it,” Mr Farage responds.

He adds: “If you put me in charge it’d be very, very different, but of course they didn’t do that did they.”

Nick Robinson turns the conversation to Brexit, asking Mr Farage if it was a failure.

Mr Farage responds: “No, it’s not a failure, but we failed to deliver. It can’t be a failure, we’ve left the European Union, we’re now self-governing; the question is then, what do you do with it.”

Nick Robinson asks if the West provoked the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

Nigel Farage says: “Yes, and very interestingly, once again, 10 years ago when I predicted this – by the way, I’m the only person in British politics that predicted what would happen, and of course everyone said I was a pariah for daring to suggest it.

“George Robertson, former Labour cabinet minister, who went on to become the Secretary General of NATO has in the last couple of weeks said the war is a direct result of the EU expansion.”

Nick Robinson puts to Nigel Farage that he admired Vladimir Putin. Mr Farage responds by saying he admired the Russian leader as a political operator for managing to take control of the running of the country.

He adds that this was before the seizure of Crimea.

Nigel Farage says he, rather than a divided Conservative party will be the voice of opposition to a Labour government with a big majority.

He says: “Well, there isn’t a right of British politics, it’s gone, disappeared. I mean we’ve had 14 years of Conservative government, they may as well change their name to the SDP.

“It’s been high tax, big state, more control of our lives, damaging period for the 5 and a half million men and women running small businesses, they’ve not even been vaguely Conservative, low tax, free market.”

Nick Robinson begins by congratulating Nigel Farage on playing his party in a projected wipeout for the Tory party according to latest polls, adding it could produce “the greatest Labour majority in history”.

Mr Farage swerves the question on if it gives him please.

Like with all party leaders interviewed for the series, Nick Robinson tells Nigel Farage that he is asking questions on issues that people are telling the BBC are important to them.

“I just ask you to try and answer the questions, but to be clear you don’t know the questions before I put them to you,” he says.

His incendiary comments will come in his interview with Nick Robinsom less than two weeks before voters go to the polls.

They are likely to prompt an angry backlash from politicians across the spectrum, who have supported Ukraine as it attempts to fight off the Russians.

The Reform UK leader is the next to be interviewed by Nick Robinson as part of the BBC special Panorama interview series.

The show is expected to start soon and we’ll bring you all the updates live.