Ukip are 'irrelevant' says former EU Commission President

One Ukip supporter compared the comments to a "red rag to a bull"

Former EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso looks on at Nigel Farage, as he makes a speech at the European Parliament at Strasbourg (PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP/Getty Images)

The Former President of the EU Commission has said that Ukip are now "almost irrelevant" after they won only one seat in the general election.

Jose Manuel Barroso made the comments while appearing on BBC Radio Four's Today programme on 11 May.

During a discussion on David Cameron's planned re-negotiation of the UK's place in the European Union, Barroso said: "The anti-European party, the Ukip party, was reduced to a very small expression, almost irrelevant, its leader has resigned, so today Prime Minister Cameron internally has much greater authority."

Ukip were left with only one seat in the House of Commons after last week's election, despite coming third in the popular vote, with 12.6 per cent of ballot papers being cast for Ukip.

Ukip got more votes than the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party combined, who came in fourth and fifth place in the popular vote respectively, giving them 64 seats between them.

Ukip supporters have reacted angrily to Barroso's comment, with one Twitter user claiming the remark was like a "red rag to a bull".

A Ukip spokesman said: "Señor Barroso must have missed the part where Cameron has been forced into offering a referendum on EU membership, and forced into turning free movement of people into a negotiating red line by the rise of UKIP, a party whose vote is greater than that of the Government and the opposition in his homeland of Portugal."

"His arrogance and contempt is symptomatic of the Entire European elite."

David Cameron plans to argue that the UK should stay in the EU in the proposed referendum, on the grounds that rules about Britain's dealings with the EU can be renegotiated.

The proposed referendum on the UK's membership of the EU may take place at the end of 2017, although no solid date has been announced yet.

Speaking to Channel 4 news, the Prime Minister said that he was confident that he would see the "right result" after the referendum.

Barroso said he agreed with Cameron, saying that after the general election, there are "better conditions for the referendum to succeed".

He said: "Prime Minister Cameron has renewed, fresh legitimacy, internally he has greater authority to make the case for Europe."

David Cameron hopes to renegotiate the terms of Britain's relationship with the EU, to give himself an advantage in the proposed EU referendum in 2017 (Carl Court/Getty Images)

He called Cameron "determined and pragmatic", and said his majority in parliament puts him on a good footing to keep the UK in Europe.

In a statement that will give hope to pro-Europe Conservatives, Barroso said that EU leaders "are willing to accommodate some concerns and points made by Britain, providing, of course, that they are compatible with overall projects of European integration."

He added: "I really hope that Prime Minister Cameron will be able to not only keep the United Kingdom united, as it happened with the referendum with Scotland, but also to keep the European Union united."