UKIP LEADER NIGEL FARAGE OUT ON THE LASH IN DEANSGATE

Not my best selfie, but it will have to do

As the man who boldly claims to lead Britain’s third party, Nigel Farage is a powerful force in British politics. I’ll admit that I felt more than a little tingle when spying him outside of Manchester’s Comedy Store – sinking a pint and dragging on a trademark cigarette, naturally.

When not engaged in self parody, however, Mr Farage is a business man, and a savvy one at that. Those of you that are on the ball will have noticed that the Tory Conference is in town, and whilst for the average student this means batting away a few more dreadlocked, flyer distributing socialists than usual, for Nigel it means serious political capital.

Ruddy faced men enjoy a free bar

The man is audacious, and this event, at a packed Comedy Store that lies tantalisingly close to the conference hall itself, the assembled mass of blue lanyard wearing Conservatives must have felt more than a little naughty at sneaking behind enemy lines to see the man who threatens them so gravely at the ballot box.

In the auditorium, Farage was insatiable, time after time receiving rapturous applause for his table-thumping liberal rhetoric. I have seen stand ups at the Comedy Store get a fraction of the laughs that Farage attracted simply by discussing politics.

“We’re not a normal party” slurred UKIP’s obviously hammered Head of Press as he ushered me to meet Farage at the end of the evening. “We are interested in getting things done”.

On the evidence of tonight I would have to agree with him.