Several upstart parties have indulged in such fantasies over the years, but it comes to naught because the Westminster political system protects incumbents against insurgents. This is why MPs tend to breathe easy. It may be hard to imagine Ed Miliband in a pub, but it’s also hard to imagine Farage out of one. Can he be taken seriously? When the BNP won almost a million votes in the last European elections, the rules were changed so MEPs were no longer given automatic access to the House of Commons. It’s a shame: having the odious Nick Griffin, an MEP for North West England, queuing behind MPs in the canteens and the bars would remind them all to do a better job with the voters they have neglected.