Nigel Farage has urged voters to join his "people's army" at a rally in Eastleigh ahead of Thursday's elections.
Around 300 people packed into a sports hall to hear the Ukip leader make one of his final pitches ahead of the polls.
Mr Farage has been fighting against claims of racism after remarks he made about Romanians in a radio interview last week.
He claimed the row had made it "impossible" to hold a debate on European issues during the campaign through the media or broadcasters.
Mr Farage made a pointed criticism of being challenged on maternity pay during a Radio 5Live interview earlier rather than EU issues.
He also blamed the largest parties for trying to fight the 2015 campaign a year early.
Mr Farage said far from being racist, Ukip endorsed a "re-embracing" of the Commonwealth nations.
And he said: "Whilst they are busy throwing insults at us, what the opinion polls of last Sunday showed us is the Ukip vote amongst black and ethnic minorities is bigger than the vote for the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats added up together."
And in a broad attack on mainstream parties he told the meeting: "This country is now run by a bunch of college kids who have no connection with real life."
The Eastleigh meeting passed without incident amid tight security. The event was ticketed and attendees had to pay a charge to attend.
Mr Farage was given a universal standing ovation when he closed his remarks.
Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 1:16 am