NIGEL Farage will be propelled into Downing Street if the UK stays in the EU, Scotland's only elected Ukip politician has predicted.
David Coburn claimed that if Britain's voters choose to remain in June, Brussels would "drag all the mad grannies out of the attic" shortly afterwards, forcing the UK to join the single currency and agree to a pan-European income tax.
The MEP believes the ensuing backlash prompted by the EU's "dreadful schemes" would lead to a Ukip general election victory.
He added: "There's a whole bunch of mad stuff they're hiding away... if we lose the EU referendum I can tell you right now I'm putting good money on the next Prime Minister being Nigel Farage."
The comment attracted laughter from the audience during a EU debate with NUS Scotland president Vonnie Sandlan at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy conference in Glasgow yesterday.
But Mr Coburn hit back, saying: "You all laughed at the SNP and look how many seats they got. So laugh ye not."
The Ukip Scotland leader, who is hoping to be elected to Holyrood in May, also dismissed the possibility of a second independence referendum in the event that Scotland is dragged out of the EU on the back of votes from the rest of the UK.
He added: "We entered the EU together, we must part the EU together. I asked Juncker, who's the president of the EU about this, and after much humming and hawing he came up with the answer that Scotland will be out of the EU if England's out. And it will not be allowed to reapply until after Turkey has joined the EU. I don't know how many of you think it will be a good idea to be part of a European Union which includes 75 million people in Turkey who then have access to our NHS. Nicola [Sturgeon] would not dare have another referendum because she knows fine well she'd lose it."
Ms Sandlan, who was arguing for a vote to stay in the EU, accused Mr Coburn of spreading "mistruths" about the reality of the UK's membership, and raised concerns over the impact leaving would have on trade, jobs and workers' rights.
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