Ken Clarke goes on the offensive against Ukip as Tories go to war ahead of polls Cabinet minister Ken Clarke today brands Ukip party's politicians 'clowns' Agrees with PM's 2006 quote that party are 'fruitcakes and closet racists' Ukip MEP Godfrey Bloom insists senior figures need to learn to toe line Emails leaked to media show discussions with Treasurer Stuart Wheeler Party accuses Tories of smear campaign against would-be councillors Ken Clarke ramped up Tory attacks on Ukip today, branding the party's politicians "clowns" and some of their supporters racist. The Cabinet minister said the party had no positive policies and were merely "against" foreigners and immigrants. He also insisted it was perfectly acceptable for candidates in this week's local elections to be picked up on dubious comments they previously made on Twitter and Facebook. Attack: Cabinet minister Ken Clarke branded Ukip's politicians 'clowns' and some of their supporters racist Speaking on Sky News programme Murnaghan, Mr Clarke said: "They of course have not been able to vet their candidates. Fringe right parties do tend to collect a number of waifs and strays. Some of them are saying quite different things now they are in politics then their actual views. Asked whether he agreed with David Cameron's 2006 assessment that the party was packed with "fruitcakes and closet racists," Mr Clarke replied: "I have met people who satisfy both those descriptions in Ukip. Indeed, some of the people who have assured me they are going to vote Ukip I would put in that category. I rather suspect they have never voted for me. Mr Clarke said he was sure that "most of the Ukip people are perfectly nice when they are having a drink." But he insisted: "The trouble with Ukip really is it is just a protest party. It is against the political class, it is against foreigners, it is against immigrants. But it does not have any very positive policies. They do not know what they are for. Email leak: Godfrey Bloom also complained that forging Ukip's policy platform is like 'herding cats', insisting senior figures needed to learn to toe the line Meanwhile a Ukip MEP was revealed as being concerned about excessive political correctness among new recruits to the anti-EU party. Godfrey Bloom also complained that forging Ukip's policy platform is like "herding cats," insisting senior figures needed to learn to toe the line, emails leaked to the Observer showed. In the recent exchange with Treasurer Stuart Wheeler, Mr Bloom cautioned that "some quite senior party members are going to have to stable their hobby-horses." "Having worked on the defence paper for over one year it would appear Ukip has more military and naval experts than we have soldiers," he said. Most of them do not agree with each other. It is like herding cats. We are also attracting new members who bring main party "baggage." Focus groups, quotas, even political correctness. We must be wary of listening to these siren voices. We did not get where we are today by following, but leading. The MEP said he had been in talks with free market think-tanks including the Institute of Economic Affairs and Civitas. He suggested Ukip could buy their policies "off the shelf" where they are close to "our own small government, low tax, libertarian position." Mr Wheeler apparently responded: "I could not agree more strongly that some people will have to get off their hobby-horses." Ukip today also accused the Tories of running a "morally reprehensible" smear campaign by trawling through would-be councillors' Twitter and Facebook posts just days before the local elections. The anti-EU party - which is investigating a handful of candidates over links to far-right groups and alleged racist and homophobic comments - said it did not condone "unpalatable views." Discussions: In the recent exchange with Treasurer Stuart Wheeler (pictured), Mr Bloom cautioned that 'some quite senior party members are going to have to stable their hobby horses' But a spokesman insisted it would not bow to a "political lynch mob." A Ukip spokesman said: "What you are seeing is discussions about policy development. Mr Bloom would like to get things done rapidly, Mr Wheeler would like to ensure that consensus is reached. Lord Ashcroft has warned Prime Minister David Cameron that he faces defeat at the general election in two years" time. The Tories" biggest donor of the last decade put together a poll suggesting Labour will gain 109 seats at the 2015 election, including 93 from the Conservative Party. The predicted result by the former deputy chairman of the Conservatives would make Ed Miliband prime minister and give Labour a House of Commons majority of 84 seats. Lord Ashcroft told the Financial Times: "Even now, 16 years after they dismissed us from office, many people who would once have been natural supporters still do not think the party is on their side. Mr Cameron faces the unenviable task of showing, at a time of austerity, that his party is not just for those who have already achieved material success, while holding on to Tory loyalists and luring back those threatening to defect to UKIP. It merely displays creative tension that in the end will produce a far better policy platform than we might have otherwise without due discussion. He added: "We have evidence that Conservative Campaign Head Quarters has been scrutinising each and every one of our 1,732 candidates, monitoring every social media output over the last few years. Were we inclined to return the favour, we would find even more examples to use against them. We deem that using our candidates as cannon fodder to undermine a political campaign (is) morally reprehensible and downright dirty. We are an open minded party who believes that ordinary hard working men and women who want to serve their communities should not be subject to a political lynch mob. We are fighting this campaign on principle - not dirty politics. However, we absolutely do not condone homophobic, xenophobic, extreme nor unpalatable views, therefore we will take each individual case on merit. But Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said Ukip candidates were being put under the same scrutiny as those from other parties. Candidates are always put under scrutiny and I think it's right,' he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show. Why should Ukip candidates get away without any scrutiny when other parties have scrutiny as far as their candidates are concerned? I don't know anything about a smear campaign. Asked whether it was right to trawl through would-be councillors' social media accounts, he said: "I don't know whether that's happened, I'm just saying it happens to all parties and candidates are put under scrutiny."