UKIP is to spend time and money fighting for each of Sussex’s parliamentary seats at the next general election as the party looks for its first MP.

In an exclusive interview with The Argus, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said as an MEP for the South East the county was important to him as it was part of his constituency.

And he accused Brighton and Hove City Council’s Green administration of being “crackers” for its “war on cars” – picking out high parking prices as a way it was deterring visitors.

He said: “If I thought about going out with the kids I wouldn’t come here.

“As a child I often came here. It was exciting. Now I’d go to Hastings.

“The Greens are a very expensive luxury. If you are very wealthy they are marvellous.

“This anti-car, pro wind turbine agenda is fine for the privileged few but it doesn’t actually support the mass of people who have actually voted for them.”

He said he believed the success of the Greens in the city at persuading voters to leave the three main parties at the last general election could help UKIP in 2015.

He said: “Once a voter has left the traditional party that their grandparents voted for, leaving Labour or the Tories, they are much more likely to switch in the future.

“Brighton and Hove for us was once the weakest part in Sussex but I think we have the chance of real purchase here.”

Mr Farage said the party did not yet have any large scale party donors from the county but said it had financial support from people in all parts of Sussex.

He said: “We are on track for making a massive step forward in 2015.

“We have thrown our total effort at these county council elections.

“We have got a lot of new members in Sussex in recent weeks. We are establishing ourselves as a well organised party.

“We have got a few idiots in our party and they have been dealt with on a disciplinary basis.

“Every party has them.”

For a longer interview with Mr Farage answering your questions, buy The Argus on Friday.