text: Nigel Farage tonight insisted he would not give up trying to pull Britain out of the European Union even if voters rejected leaving in a referendum. The Ukip leader said he would accept the result and rejected claims his party would become 'redundant' as a result. Mr Farage, appearing on a special Question Time-style programme filmed in Birmingham today, even claimed the party could enjoy an SNP-style surge in support in the wake of a vote to remain in the EU. Scroll down for video . Nigel Farage, speaking tonight on a special Question Time style programme broadcast on the BBC, insisted he would not give up trying to pull Britain out of the European Union even if voters rejected leaving in a referendum . The Ukip leader said he would accept the result, but rejected claims his party would become 'redundant' as a result . The Ukip leader's comments come after David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg faced a live-TV grilling over their plans for the next five years in power. All three leaders faced questions over Mr Cameron's proposed European referendum in 2017. The Prime Minister revealed that he would not go into any future Coalition which refused to grant the public a say on Britain's membership of the EU. Mr Miliband however batted off criticism from the audience to insist that he would not hold a referendum – insisting it was not in Britain's interests. Speaking tonight, Mr Farage claimed Britain could thrive outside the EU and vowed to push for a referendum before 2017. He said: 'The point about a referendum is we've had a variety of promises of referendums that have never been delivered. 'I want that referendum conducted on full, free and fair terms. And what I mean by that is that both sides must have the same spending limits. The broadcasters must have an Ombudsman to make sure there is a proper, even debate and we must - and we must define who is qualified to vote in this referendum and who isn't. 'And if it's a full, free and fair referendum I will accept the result. Would it make UKIP redundant? No, because just look at what's happened in Scotland. The Scots – the Scots rejected their independence referendum and yet the SNP have gone to remarkable heights since then.' The Ukip leader faced questions from a live audience for the show, hosted by the presenter Jo Cockburn, broadcast tonight . The show was broadcast after David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg faced a live-TV grilling over their plans for the next five years in power . Mr Farage's claim that Ukip could surge to similar levels of support to the SNP is likely to spark accusations of hubris. In the wake of last year's independence referendum in Scotland, the SNP has seen its support surge to 54 per cent – putting it on course, according to some analysts, to win all 59 seats north of the border. Ukip meanwhile trail badly behind both the Tories and Labour – currently languishing on between 10-15 per cent in the polls. Unlike the SNP, the party is expected to win no more than five seats on May 7 – with some pollsters predicting only the popular Douglas Carswell clinging onto his seat in Clacton, Essex. But Mr Farage insisted Ukip was on course to do well at the election and claimed the party's stance on border controls was backed by the vast majority of the country. He said: '77 per cent of British people want us to have proper border controls and reduced immigration levels, all right? I am pro immigration, but I'm pro controlled immigration.' During the earlier TV showdown Mr Cameron guaranteed that he would not go into government with any party that would not give the public an in-out referendum . Ed Miliband, appearing on the Question Time special tonight, insisted he would not give voters a say on Europe . Mr Farage said Ukip could save 'easily £1bn a year' from NHS health tourism and returned to the controversial topic of foreign HIV sufferers receiving treatment on the NHS. He said: 'The issue I specifically raised was the issue that since 2012 anybody can come to Britain, not to live, but anybody can come to Britain and get HIV treatment on the National Health Service. 'Now it's interesting. I have here a letter from a 30 year old HIV positive man in London who says, why are the waiting rooms now full to overflowing? Why does it now take me three weeks to get an appointment? 'And he says to me, it is because since we opened the door in 2012 we're now incapable of providing HIV treatment for people legally living in Britain.' Mr Farage, facing tough questions from the studio audience, insisted Britain would not be damaged by leaving the EU. He said: 'We're not exiting Europe. Let's be very clear about that. I love Europe, it's a wonderful place. It's got different countries, different people, different languages, cultures, wines, cheeses, it's a great place. 'And providing it's democratic and not fighting each other it is, I think in many ways the richest, culturally the richest continent on Earth. 'However, what now masquerades as being Europe, what has hijacked the word Europe, is something called the European Union which has a flag, it has an anthem, it has a President – not that anyone can ever name who they are – and it is a political union that now makes nearly 75% of our laws, costs us a great deal of money and I think is wholly unnecessary, not just for Britain, but I feel that for the rest of Europe too. Nicola Sturgeon faced questions  from a studio audience at BBC Scotland in Glasgow this evening . The Scottish First Minister insisted she would block a Labour budget if Mr Miliband would not compromise with her . The Ukip leader also backtracked on comments praising the Russian leader Vladimir Putin – admitting that he was 'probably' a threat to the UK. 'Mr Putin who is clearly acting aggressively. I think he is a threat to us. I think there is also a threat from some of the extreme Islamic elements in the Middle East and it's back to the question about defence.'
target: Ukip leader said he would accept the result of any future EU referendum .
  Rejected claim Ukip would become 'redundant' if the country voted to stay .
  Insisted a lost referendum would not deter him from trying to pull out of EU .
  Mr Farage was interviewed for a special Question Time-style programme .
  Comes after Cameron, Clegg and Miliband faced questions on live TV .