UKIP leader Nigel Farage's tonic for the troops

Speaking at Himley Hall near Dudley, the UKIP leader said the party would commit to spending two per cent of GDP on defence – the NATO benchmark – and restore the defence budget to pre-2010 levels.

He also said the party would create a specialist Veterans' Minister who will ensure that current veterans and future troops returning from conflict receive specialist support.

Mr Farage said: "The Westminster parties are not interested in defence, they do not see any votes in it.

"People in this country do care about defence, about our ability as a nation to defend ourselves.

"About our ability as a nation to defend our commitments around the world – perhaps with the Falklands being to the foremost in many people's minds.

"So people do care hugely about, and perhaps they care even more about, the well-being of the men and women that serve in our armed forces and especially the way in which they are treated.

"Westminster is wrong about this and UKIP says defence really does matter and it is very important – it should be a much bigger part of this election campaign than it currently is."

Mr Farage, who joined veterans for afternoon tea at the beauty spot, said UKIP backed calls for a new national service medal so all men and women who served in the Armed Forces could 'stand proud' at Remembrance Services regardless of rank or length of service.

Troops who have served more than 12 years would be offered jobs in the police force, prison service and the borders agency.

And the party said it would build at least one forces' hospital and several hostels for homeless ex-servicemen.

Mr Farage added: "It is estimated that one in 10 of those on the streets are former servicemen or women who have fallen on hard times and dependent on alcohol. It is our duty to support them and that is why I am committed to one dedicated military hospital and hostels for homeless ex veterans."

Mr Farage took to the podium with Dudley North candidate Bill Etheridge and rejected criticism about plans to pay for the defence budget boost via cuts to international aid, insisting 'defence of the realm' was the first priority of government.

Speaking to reporters outside Himley Hall, Mr Farage defended how his party was doing in the polls following the success in last year's European Parliament elections.

He said: "We are exactly where we were in August last year. After the European elections we stabilised at around 14.5 per cent as a poll of polls. No political party goes up in a straight line or, even, down in a straight line. The trend over the last week is we are beginning, as the short campaign for the General Election has begun, the vote is beginning to harden."

He then hit back at the Prime Minister who had issued a call for UKIP voters to 'come home' to the Conservatives. He said: "The whole point about David Cameron's comment is he firstly doesn't understand that more than half our voters have never voted Conservative and would never vote Conservative.

"Secondly he said this is not the time to protest – he doesn't get it. The vast majority of UKIP voters when they are questioned say they are not voting UKIP to protest but they are voting UKIP because they agree with it."

UKIP party defence spokesman Mike Hookham MEP, who served in the Army, said the Government had left the Armed Forces on the 'brink of collapse'.

Mr Hookem said: "As a former sapper I never expected to be outlining major defence policy.

"Look at the traditional parties and they have had rudderless leadership on the defence agenda.

"The Strategic Spending Review of 2010 left our Armed Forces on the brink of collapse with more regiments disbanded than ever before.

"David Cameron has hoodwinked NATO on the UK's defence spending.

"We would increase defence spending by £4bn a year and there would be £1bn for MoD capital projects which should be awarded to British companies."

He also gave UKIP backing to Trident but said there would need to be a review into the UK's nuclear deterrent.

He added that Armed Forces serving overseas should pay no income tax and 500 low rent homes should be created for veterans. UKIP would also create a new director of national intelligence to identify, monitor and advise on threats of national security.

Mr Farage also visited the Express & Star offices in Wolverhampton yesterday where he said his party could win seats in the Black Country and Staffordshire – notably Dudley North.

His first stop of the day was supposed to be at a farm in rural Staffordshire.

Sunny Hill Farm in Marston near Stafford would be cut in half by the proposed HS2 line and UKIP has pledged to scrap the entire project, which it says would cost too much and is not needed.

But morning fog scuppered Mr Farage's travel plans and left gathered supporters disappointed.

Jill Seymour MEP, the party's transport spokesperson, stepped in and unveiled a huge sign on the side of a trailer stating 'UKIP will stop HS2 before it runs out of control'.

She said instead of spending money on the project, UKIP would upgrade existing lines and stations.

"The problem as we see it is that the whole network across the UK has not had the improvements over the last 15 years," she added.

In the end, with the fog having cleared, it was a garage in Cannock where Mr Farage made his first appearance. He spoke to mechanics at family-run Bird & Yates Garage before answering questions from the media.

Owner Andrew Yates, 53, said: "He was talking to me about the motor trade and speaking to the lads, asking what they were doing and how business was doing. He asked me how much I would charge him for an MOT."

Mr Yates admitted he was undecided about the party's policies but said Mr Farage offered something different to the other party leaders.

He added: "I have watched him on TV and he seems different to the rest, probably refreshingly so in a way. Whether you agree with all of the party's policies – I am still on the fence."