article: Defiant Nigel Farage today insisted he did not 'lose my rag' after rounding on the audience of a live TV debate for being too left wing. The Ukip leader was booed by voters at Westminster's Methodist Central Hall as he faced claims he blamed all of Britain's problems on migrants. Pollster ICM, which was hired by the BBC to select the audience members, today defended its process 'using random location selection techniques'. Nigel Farage today insisted he did not 'lose my rag' after rounding on the audience of a live TV debate for being too left wing . Mr Farage, pictured today, risked alienating those watching at Westminster's Central Hall in London as he protested they were 'a remarkable audience even by the Left-wing standards of the BBC' The BBC stressed that the audience was carefully selected by an process, but Mr Farage said something had gone 'wrong' with the process. Asked whether he had lost his temper, Mr Farage told the BBC News Channel: 'I was very calm about it. I didn't lose my rag.' He said his protest had been sparked by the hostile audience reaction to his argument that high levels of immigration were increasing pressure on the housing market, something he said would be accepted by 'most rational people'. And he added: 'This is not the first time I've seen this. The night of the by-election that Douglas Carswell won in Clacton with a landslide, there was a Ukip representative - Patrick O'Flynn - on Question Time in Clacton and the audience were deeply hostile to him.' Asked if he blamed the BBC, Mr Farage said: 'Sometimes these things go wrong, sometimes you get groups who apply to be on programmes who perhaps aren't as truthful on their applications as they could be. 'In this case, the BBC gave the job to a polling company called ICM who are famous for getting everything about Ukip wrong and that I think was the mistake. 'Am I going to make a complaint? I've got an election to fight. What matters isn't the 200 people in the room, what really matters are the millions of people watching on television.' Mr Farage's outburst came less than half an hour into the event after some of his comments about pressure on housing due to immigration were greeted with mutters from those watching . Independent pollsters ICM were hired by the BBC to select the audience of around 250 people. After facing stiff criticism from Ukip, the firm today released a statement on how it chose the audience members. They were selected from a 20-mile radius of the venue in Westminster. The region was broken up into 30 small areas, and at least 8 people were chosen from each area. Each person was selected to reflect the 'composition of the UK population by gender, age, ethnicity, and social grade, and political protocols that reflected the balance as agreed between the broadcasters and the political parties', ICM said. A fifth of the people declared themselves to be 'undecided voters'. A 'small number' of SNP and Plaid Cymru supporters were brought in from Scotland and Wales. ICM added: 'The recruitment approach replicated those used by ICM at all the 2010 leader debates, both the Clegg vs Farage debates last year, and the recent ITV debate.' Mr Farage was widely considered to have won the debates against Nick Clegg last year, after which the Ukip leader made no complaint about the audience composition. Last night saw five opposition party leaders go head-to-head in a 90-minute live TV debate. Mr Farage appeared alongside Labour's Ed Miliband, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, Green Natalie Bennett and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood. During the earlier exchanges, the leaders on Mr Farage for his anti-immigration policies, attracting applause from the audience. Mr Farage was taken aback, and attacked a 'total lack of comprehension' from those watching and protested they were 'a remarkable audience even by the Left-wing standards of the BBC'. His outburst came less than half an hour into the event after some of his comments about pressure on housing due to immigration were greeted with mutters from those watching. Mr Farage warned that foreigners arriving in the UK 'has directly contributed to the housing crisis'. But he came under fire for linking all of the countries problems to immigration. Green party leader Natalie Bennett took a swipe at Mr Farage: 'There is someone here on this platform who wants to totally demonise migrants and you know who I mean.' She hit back at claims migrants are causing a crisis in the health service: 'One in four doctors is foreign born, 40 per cent of NHS staff are foreign born. Mr Miliband said told Mr Farage: 'You abuse immigrants and those with HIV and then you complain that Ukip is being abused.' Miss Sturgeon won loud applause as she urged Mr Farage to 'put the bogeyman to one side'. She told him: 'We have a housing crisis across this country. You know what, Nigel Farage? It isn't caused by immigrants. In your world every problem is caused by immigrants.' But Mr Farage claimed the audience was biased against him: 'There just seems to be a total lack of comprehension on this panel, and indeed amongst this audience, which is a remarkable audience even by the Left-wing standards of the BBC.' Mr Farage was heckled by members of the audience before David Dimbleby, who was presenting the broadcast on BBC1, intervened to say: 'Nigel, let me just say one thing. 'This is an audience that has been carefully chosen not by the BBC, but by an independent polling organisation to represent the balance between all parties.' Labour leader Ed Miliband gave the Ukip leader the advice: 'It's never a great idea to attack the audience, Nigel, in my opinion.' But Mr Farage retorted: 'The real audience are sitting at home.' Explanation: Mr Farage was heckled before David Dimbleby (pictured), who was presenting the broadcast on BBC1, intervened to say how the audience had been chosen . The BBC insists the audience was carefully selected by an independent pollster, but Mr Farage said something had gone 'wrong' with the process . Unimpressed: Ukip voter Mike Cripps, 44 . A Ukip voter has insisted he is having second thoughts about backing the party after Nigel Farage attacked the studio audience. Security worker Mike Cripps, 44, of Bromley, south-east London, believed the Ukip leader had 'done a couple of stupid things'. The first was his comment on the audience and the second was raising his views on people with HIV visiting the UK for NHS treatment, Mr Cripps said. Asked if Mr Farage's remarks had put him off supporting Ukip, Mr Cripps said: 'It did a bit, yeah. I don't think he put himself across right. 'If we're just talking about the debate tonight - it's what we should be talking about, not what he's done six years ago or two years ago or yesterday - for me, Nicola Sturgeon was the best. 'She was slick, she was well prepared, she had been well briefed, that's my personal opinion. Ed Miliband - it was like he was reading off a script.' The BBC insisted the audience had been chosen by an independent polling organisation to reflect the supporters of all parties - not just those represented by their leaders last night. A spokesman for the corporation told MailOnline yesterday: 'ICM recruited an audience to give a cross section of political opinion.' ICM, a public opinion research company founded in 1989, was unavailable for comment last night. Ukip meanwhile was said to be pressing for an inquiry into how the audience was chosen. Asked after the debate about Mr Farage's criticism of the audience, Ukip deputy leader Paul Nuttall said: 'I am not sure whether we will complain. All I will say is I didn't think the audience was representative of the views of British people. 'I think Nigel Farage would have done very well with people sitting at home.' Mr Nuttall said he had spoken about things which had happened to him on Question Time, telling reporters: 'Who knows, may be some people are being disingenuous on their application forms.' Asked if adopting an attack on the audience was an easy get out clause for dismissing opposition to Ukip's views, he added: 'Oh no. People at home agree with us and that's what really matters - the millions of people at home watching this. 'We know, for example, on immigration, on the European Union they agree with where Ukip stands. What the audience in here really think is, I suppose, irrelevant.' Tweeting during the debate, Lord Ashcroft said: 'A minority view once again. Nigel Farage having a go at the BBC audience may well appeal to the viewers whose vote he is targeting.' And Sky News presenter Kay Burley tweeted: 'Farage having a pop at balance of audience. Dodgy ground there. Broadcasters jump through hoops to make sure studio is fair.' As the end credits rolled following the BBC debate last night, four of the five party leaders shook hands with each other - but Mr Farage just drank from a glass of water from behind his stand. As Miss Bennett and Miss Wood walked away, Miss Sturgeon then went to shake Mr Farage's hand - and Mr Miliband offered the Ukip leader a pat on the back. Then, all of the leaders went to the audience to shake their hands - with the exception, again, of Mr Farage. He shook hands with Mr Dimbleby before leaving without going up to the audience. Left alone: As the end credits rolled following the BBC debate last night, four of the five party leaders shook hands with each other - but Mr Farage (right) just drank from a glass of water from behind his stand . All of the leaders went to the audience to shake their hands - with the exception, again, of Mr Farage. He shook hands with Mr Dimbleby before leaving (circled in red) without going up to the audience .
highlights: Ukip leader Nigel Farage risks alienating those watching debate last night .
  Complains of 'remarkable audience even by Left-wing standards of BBC'
  Comments on housing pressure due to immigration greeted with mutters .
  David Dimbleby says independent polling firm chose 'balanced' audience .
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