By . Tom Mctague, Mail Online Deputy Political Editor . David Cameron today branded Ukip leader Nigel Farage a 'chicken' for not standing for Parliament. The Prime Minister hit out at the the Ukip leader’s failure to take on the Tories in the upcoming Newark by-election. The seat is up for grabs after the resignation of shamed former MP Patrick Mercer, but Mr Farage ruled himself, hinting Ukip would not win the safe Tory seat. Blast: David Cameron teased his Ukip rival Nigel Farage for refusing to put his name forward for the Newark by-election . Mr Cameron was asked if he laughed when Mr Farage was struck by an egg during a visit to Nottingham . Mr Farage was earlier this week accused of 'bottling it' after ruling himself out of the race to succeed Mr Mercer. Mr Farage admitted that if he had stood but lost the 'bubble would have burst'. The vote will take place just after the May 22 European elections. Ukip is win the election - after consistently polling ahead of borth the Tories and Labour. This morning Mr Cameron was whether he laughed when Mr Farage was egged while campaigning on Thursday. Ukip leader Nigel Farage was pelted with an egg while on a visit to Nottingham . The PM suggested he had some sympathy becuase he had been attacked in the same way before. He said: 'I’ve been egged myself so I know. I was egged in Cornwall. Actually when an egg hits you, this is going to sound quite weedy, they hit you quite hard actually. I got one in the back. This was several years ago.' The PM then added: 'But it has solved the great riddle, what came first – the chicken or the egg? Because of course there was the big chicken story the day before.' The gag chided Mr Farage into an immediate response. He wrote on Twitter: 'If Cameron thinks I'm a chicken then no doubt he will challenge me to a TV debate and see if I refuse.' Mr Cameron's dig comes despite the Tories shying away from direct attacks on Ukip recently. The PM sparked controversy in 2006 after accusing Ukip supporters of being 'fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists'. The Newark by-election comes after the constituency's MP Mr Mercer stepped down on Tuesday. His decision came just days before he was due to be suspended from the Commons for six months for tabling a series of parliamentary questions for cash. He was caught in an undercover sting accepting £4,000 to put down the questions. Mr Mercer tabled five questions to government ministers and put down a parliamentary motion after being paid the cash as part of a contract he believed would earn him £24,000 a year. Parliamentary watchdog, the Commons Standards Committee, said Mr Mercer’s case was one of the worst cases in modern history. Mr Farage hit back at the jibe, insisting it was Mr Cameron who is 'chicken' Mr Cameron meets bricklayer Linette Pompey during a visit to the Parkgate development in Solihull . Launching the Tory campaign at a JCB construction vehicle plant in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, Mr Cameron took aim at his rivals: 'Frankly I don't need to discredit Ukip - they do a good enough job themselves. Their own leader admits they "cannot change a thing in Brussels". 'This is who we're up against: Labour - all short-term gimmicks and no long-term plan. Ukip - all talk and no delivery. 'The choice is clear: If you want a serious party with a credible long-term plan and a party that's delivering on that plan, then you only have one choice: you have got to vote Conservative.' Ahead of polls taking place in local councils across England, the Prime Minister said that the effects of recovery were being seen in all parts of the country. Mr Cameron launched the  Conservative European and local election campaign durnig a speech at JCB World Logistics Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme . 'Britain is coming back,' he said. 'We came through the Great Recession together. We are building the Great British revival together. 'And all this didn't just happen. The economic pendulum didn't just swing our way. It's happening because of the people in this country who worked their hearts out, the businesses that hung on through the hard times and yes - it happened because this is a Government with a long-term economic plan to secure Britain's future. 'And we've got to be very clear. The Great British revival doesn't come with a life-time guarantee. The job is not done. If we want to keep making progress, keep creating jobs and securing this country's future, then we've got to carry on working through the plan. 'And coming up to these elections on May 22, this is what our message is all about. Conservatives are the ones with a long-term plan to secure Britain's future and we are delivering on that plan.' Mr Cameron sought to counter the growing appeal of Mr Farage's eurosceptic party by highlighting his own record of 'standing up' to Brussels by vetoing an EU treaty, cutting the budget and getting the UK out of the euro bailout scheme. The Tory plan for Europe had 'three words at its heart - Britain's national interest', he said. 'I have a track record of delivery - and believe me, whatever it takes, I will deliver this in-out referendum. Labour won't. Ukip can't. I will.'
Prime Minister makes joke at Ukip leader's expense during radio interview .
Shows sympathy for Farage fore being geed during visit to Nottingham .
Admits being 'quite weedy' when he was hit by an egg in Cornwall .
But Farage hits back at dig - calling on PM to face him in TV debate .
By . Tom Mctague, Mail Online Deputy Political Editor . David Cameron today branded Ukip leader Nigel Farage a 'chicken' for not standing for Parliament. The Prime Minister hit out at the the Ukip leader’s failure to take on the Tories in the upcoming Newark by-election. The seat is up for grabs after the resignation of shamed former MP Patrick Mercer, but Mr Farage ruled himself, hinting Ukip would not win the safe Tory seat. Blast: David Cameron teased his Ukip rival Nigel Farage for refusing to put his name forward for the Newark by-election . Mr Cameron was asked if he laughed when Mr Farage was struck by an egg during a visit to Nottingham . Mr Farage was earlier this week accused of 'bottling it' after ruling himself out of the race to succeed Mr Mercer. Mr Farage admitted that if he had stood but lost the 'bubble would have burst'. The vote will take place just after the May 22 European elections. Ukip is win the election - after consistently polling ahead of borth the Tories and Labour. This morning Mr Cameron was whether he laughed when Mr Farage was egged while campaigning on Thursday. Ukip leader Nigel Farage was pelted with an egg while on a visit to Nottingham . The PM suggested he had some sympathy becuase he had been attacked in the same way before. He said: 'I’ve been egged myself so I know. I was egged in Cornwall. Actually when an egg hits you, this is going to sound quite weedy, they hit you quite hard actually. I got one in the back. This was several years ago.' The PM then added: 'But it has solved the great riddle, what came first – the chicken or the egg? Because of course there was the big chicken story the day before.' The gag chided Mr Farage into an immediate response. He wrote on Twitter: 'If Cameron thinks I'm a chicken then no doubt he will challenge me to a TV debate and see if I refuse.' Mr Cameron's dig comes despite the Tories shying away from direct attacks on Ukip recently. The PM sparked controversy in 2006 after accusing Ukip supporters of being 'fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists'. The Newark by-election comes after the constituency's MP Mr Mercer stepped down on Tuesday. His decision came just days before he was due to be suspended from the Commons for six months for tabling a series of parliamentary questions for cash. He was caught in an undercover sting accepting £4,000 to put down the questions. Mr Mercer tabled five questions to government ministers and put down a parliamentary motion after being paid the cash as part of a contract he believed would earn him £24,000 a year. Parliamentary watchdog, the Commons Standards Committee, said Mr Mercer’s case was one of the worst cases in modern history. Mr Farage hit back at the jibe, insisting it was Mr Cameron who is 'chicken' Mr Cameron meets bricklayer Linette Pompey during a visit to the Parkgate development in Solihull . Launching the Tory campaign at a JCB construction vehicle plant in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, Mr Cameron took aim at his rivals: 'Frankly I don't need to discredit Ukip - they do a good enough job themselves. Their own leader admits they "cannot change a thing in Brussels". 'This is who we're up against: Labour - all short-term gimmicks and no long-term plan. Ukip - all talk and no delivery. 'The choice is clear: If you want a serious party with a credible long-term plan and a party that's delivering on that plan, then you only have one choice: you have got to vote Conservative.' Ahead of polls taking place in local councils across England, the Prime Minister said that the effects of recovery were being seen in all parts of the country. Mr Cameron launched the  Conservative European and local election campaign durnig a speech at JCB World Logistics Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme . 'Britain is coming back,' he said. 'We came through the Great Recession together. We are building the Great British revival together. 'And all this didn't just happen. The economic pendulum didn't just swing our way. It's happening because of the people in this country who worked their hearts out, the businesses that hung on through the hard times and yes - it happened because this is a Government with a long-term economic plan to secure Britain's future. 'And we've got to be very clear. The Great British revival doesn't come with a life-time guarantee. The job is not done. If we want to keep making progress, keep creating jobs and securing this country's future, then we've got to carry on working through the plan. 'And coming up to these elections on May 22, this is what our message is all about. Conservatives are the ones with a long-term plan to secure Britain's future and we are delivering on that plan.' Mr Cameron sought to counter the growing appeal of Mr Farage's eurosceptic party by highlighting his own record of 'standing up' to Brussels by vetoing an EU treaty, cutting the budget and getting the UK out of the euro bailout scheme. The Tory plan for Europe had 'three words at its heart - Britain's national interest', he said. 'I have a track record of delivery - and believe me, whatever it takes, I will deliver this in-out referendum. Labour won't. Ukip can't. I will.'
Parliament. The Prime Minister hit out at the the Ukip leader’s failure to take on the Tories in he laughed when Mr Farage was struck by an egg during a visit to Nottingham . Mr Farage was know. I was egged in Cornwall. Actually when an egg hits you, this is going to sound quite weedy, will challenge me to a TV debate and see if I