Labour’s Jon Trickett, Shadow Minister Without Portfolio, said:

“Either Nigel Farage supports this or Mr Richardson cannot stay in post. Nigel Farage cannot simultaneously defend these comments and claim that his party stands for the NHS free at the point of use.

"The man chosen by Nigel Farage to control UKIP’s image has compared the NHS to Hitler’s Nazi bunker. This is UKIP’s real agenda on the NHS.

"Today Labour is shining a light on Nigel Farage and his party’s true views on the future of the NHS. They claim to defend the service we cherish, but they want to dismantle its foundations.

"UKIP can no longer attempt to fool people. They are a party of Tory people, Tory money and they want to extend the worst Tory policies, which would have horrific effects on working people.”