Nigel Farage today threw down the gauntlet to Ed Miliband by telling him: "come and have a go".
After Mr Miliband launched a stinging attack on Ukip in a defiant speech in London, Mr Farage challenged him to a live televised showdown.
Warning Ukip voters would reject them at next year's election, the Labour leader earlier told party members: "I think it is time we levelled with people about Ukip.
"They’ve got away with it for too long. It is time we had a debate about where they really stand. They do have a vision of the past."
And Mr Farage responded with a dramatic challenge to the Labour leader.
Along with a tweet captioned "come and have a go", he posted an open letter - apparently written on a typewriter - calling for Mr Miliband to take him on in a live television debate.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">Come and have a go, <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Ed_Miliband" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-146061-https://twitter.com/Ed_Miliband" data-vars-event-id="c23">@Ed_Miliband</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=9&id=222025&p=http://t.co/zRbooh84b9" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-146061-http://t.co/zRbooh84b9" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/zRbooh84b9</a>— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/532899807187451904" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-146061-https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/532899807187451904" data-vars-event-id="c23">November 13, 2014</a>
The Ukip leader wrote: "I heard about your speech today in London. I must say I was quite surprised.
"I hear that you want to take me, Ukip, and all that we stand for 'apart'. Well, let me give you that opportunity.
He went on: "Let's have a live, televised, head-to-head before the start of the general election campaign.
"I'm free anytime after November 24th," he added.
Mr Miliband later tweeted: ".@Nigel_Farage Bring it on. I look forward to a debate with you, @David_Cameron and @nick_clegg in the election campaign.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">.<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-146061-https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage" data-vars-event-id="c23">@Nigel_Farage</a> Bring it on. I look forward to a debate with you, <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/David_Cameron" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-146061-https://twitter.com/David_Cameron" data-vars-event-id="c23">@David_Cameron</a> and <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/nick_clegg" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-146061-https://twitter.com/nick_clegg" data-vars-event-id="c23">@Nick_Clegg</a> in the election campaign.— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Ed_Miliband/status/532915715725357056" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-146061-https://twitter.com/Ed_Miliband/status/532915715725357056" data-vars-event-id="c23">November 13, 2014</a>
The challenge comes after Mr Miliband launched a highly personal fightback against his critics as he pledged to take on personal vested interests.
He told a hall of supporters: "I’m willing to put up with whatever is thrown at me in order to fight for you.”
But he made a concession to Ukip by saying: "We will be talking more about immigration as a party.”
Labour has not yet responded to Mr Farage's challenge.
