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| Nigel Farage ready for 'ding-dong' in Nick Clegg TV debate | Nigel Farage ready for 'ding-dong' in Nick Clegg TV debate |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| UKIP's Nigel Farage and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg are making last-minute preparations for their BBC TV debate on whether the UK should be in the EU. | |
| Mr Farage has predicted Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg will attack his comments about admiring President Putin. | |
| Mr Farage said he was sure "there will be a ding-dong" - Mr Clegg has called his rival's views "utterly grotesque". | |
| The Lib Dem leader wants the UK to stay in the EU. Mr Farage wants the UK to leave. It is on BBC Two at 19:00 BST. | |
| The BBC event, which follows another debate hosted by LBC Radio last week, comes ahead of May's European Parliament elections. | The BBC event, which follows another debate hosted by LBC Radio last week, comes ahead of May's European Parliament elections. |
| The clash, hosted by David Dimbleby, has strict rules: | The clash, hosted by David Dimbleby, has strict rules: |
| As he left home on Wednesday morning, Mr Farage told waiting reporters he was "looking forward" to the debate. | As he left home on Wednesday morning, Mr Farage told waiting reporters he was "looking forward" to the debate. |
| He said: "This is great - UKIP, mocked and derided, our arguments written off as being mad and extreme - and here we are on national television having a debate. | He said: "This is great - UKIP, mocked and derided, our arguments written off as being mad and extreme - and here we are on national television having a debate. |
| "The last time this happened, a big BBC debate, was 40 years ago. The only thing that is the same is David Dimbleby - everything else has changed." | "The last time this happened, a big BBC debate, was 40 years ago. The only thing that is the same is David Dimbleby - everything else has changed." |
| As he prepared to travel into Westminster this morning Mr Clegg said he was "hugely looking forward" to the debate. | As he prepared to travel into Westminster this morning Mr Clegg said he was "hugely looking forward" to the debate. |
| He said: "I think last week I showed very clearly that Nigel Farage got his facts wrong. This week I intend to show that his recommendation that we should be isolated in the world is also wrong." | He said: "I think last week I showed very clearly that Nigel Farage got his facts wrong. This week I intend to show that his recommendation that we should be isolated in the world is also wrong." |
| Mr Dimbleby told the BBC News Channel the debate would be "gladiatorial combat, or a prize fight", adding: "Last week they were just testing each other out. This week there has to be a knockout blow or people will say it was a damp squib." | Mr Dimbleby told the BBC News Channel the debate would be "gladiatorial combat, or a prize fight", adding: "Last week they were just testing each other out. This week there has to be a knockout blow or people will say it was a damp squib." |
| But he insisted the discussion would not involve "more heat than light", as "very important issues" were at stake. | But he insisted the discussion would not involve "more heat than light", as "very important issues" were at stake. |
| A row between Mr Clegg and Mr Farage over the UKIP leader's comments on Vladimir Putin has escalated ahead of the debate. | A row between Mr Clegg and Mr Farage over the UKIP leader's comments on Vladimir Putin has escalated ahead of the debate. |
| In the first debate Mr Farage suggested the EU had "blood on its hands" for encouraging Ukrainians to rise up against their former pro-Russian government. | In the first debate Mr Farage suggested the EU had "blood on its hands" for encouraging Ukrainians to rise up against their former pro-Russian government. |
| In a GQ magazine interview released this week Mr Farage named President Putin as the world leader he most admired, for his role in the Syria crisis last year, "as an operator, but not as a human being". | In a GQ magazine interview released this week Mr Farage named President Putin as the world leader he most admired, for his role in the Syria crisis last year, "as an operator, but not as a human being". |
| Mr Clegg responded by telling a news conference he thought those views were "utterly grotesque", saying President Putin was the "chief sponsor and protector of one of the most brutal dictators on the face of the planet". | Mr Clegg responded by telling a news conference he thought those views were "utterly grotesque", saying President Putin was the "chief sponsor and protector of one of the most brutal dictators on the face of the planet". |
| Last week's debate saw Mr Farage and Mr Clegg clash over the issue of immigration and the possible effect on the UK economy of leaving the EU. | Last week's debate saw Mr Farage and Mr Clegg clash over the issue of immigration and the possible effect on the UK economy of leaving the EU. |
| Mr Clegg said: "We are better off in Europe - richer, stronger, safer - and that's why I will fight to keep us in, for the sake of jobs, for the sake of our clout in the world, for the sake of Britain." | Mr Clegg said: "We are better off in Europe - richer, stronger, safer - and that's why I will fight to keep us in, for the sake of jobs, for the sake of our clout in the world, for the sake of Britain." |
| But Mr Farage replied: "This debate is between a tired status quo defending a crumbling EU that frankly isn't working any more, and a fresh approach that says let's be friendly with Europe, let's trade with Europe, but let's not be governed by their institutions." | But Mr Farage replied: "This debate is between a tired status quo defending a crumbling EU that frankly isn't working any more, and a fresh approach that says let's be friendly with Europe, let's trade with Europe, but let's not be governed by their institutions." |
| Conservative leader David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband declined to take part in the debate. | Conservative leader David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband declined to take part in the debate. |
| * You can watch the whole debate live on the BBC News website, with rolling video and text coverage of the key points, reaction and analysis. There is a BBC News Channel special programme from 18:30 BST to 21:00 BST. | * You can watch the whole debate live on the BBC News website, with rolling video and text coverage of the key points, reaction and analysis. There is a BBC News Channel special programme from 18:30 BST to 21:00 BST. |