Nigel Farage's autobiography, "Fighting Bull" is out tomorrow. It will, he promises me, be a good read. And if, to coin a phrase, it matches his ebullient style, it will be all of that and more.

But here's a little story from Iain Dale which reminds us that some parts of the gutter press - yes, folks, The Times is perfectly capable of getting down into the gutter just like the rest of them - like nothing better than to hit below the belt. Hence this tale which might be set alongside The Times' article whose title tells you perhaps all you need to know about it.


This is par for the course. The establishment naturally fears UKIP and its 2.46 million votes last June and fears Nigel Farage.

They fear his winning in Buckingham, indeed it makes their blood run cold. Dave and his chums are sweating hard lest he actually gets in and starts saying all those things that Tory backbenchers would just love to have the freedom to say were they not Whipped within an inch of their lives.

Which is why they try and do a hatchet job on him from time to time.

They may, however, have totally misjudged Nigel. The good burghers of Buckingham might well decide that they rather like the idea of being represented by someone who says what he actually thinks for a change and who might well be found in the Dog and Duck meeting consituents.

It would certainly make a change from the modern MP clone that the Tory party especially seems to throw up these days.

So read his book and enjoy. And meanwhile, if he will forgive me for saying so, perhaps the Mainstream Media might like to have a go at playing the ball, not the man, for a change.