Last night I went to hear Nigel Farage, the multi-talented leader of the UK Independence Party speak to a packed house in Leeds.
No oratory; no insincerity; no politician answers. What he demonstrated was simple communication with 'ordinary people'.
He spoke extremely well for half an hour and gave the audience double that time to interrogate him.
Neither Blair, nor Campbell, nor Cameron could have connected as he did. He did not'work' his audience.
That the policies are right, and more importantly would work, was indisputable. Up to this point, you might have said that selling themselves is what politicians are about but give them any power.....
What underpinned last night was the fact that I would trust this man to deliver.
Of course - nobody is perfect and sadly there have already been gutter press records of philandering - and I believe that he perhaps hinted that there could be more revelations to come.
This man actually cares about the country and its people. I do hope nothing is allowed to wreck that.
The stated ambition is for The Independence Party to become our largest party in Brussels in 2009. If the electorate have any remaining shreds of sense, they will recognises that that is probably the only way we are going to be able to change our wretched, party system.
Quote: "Power to the people!" Wolfie Smith.
