The beaming smile. The silver tongue. Turning a party that was bumbling along in the electoral wilderness and into a force that terrorised the Tories. Nigel Farage is in many ways the heir to Blair.

Neither man would welcome this comparison, given how well they used to get on when they came across each other in the European Parliament. But their records can't help inviting it.

They will both be remembered for leading their parties to historic electoral success – Mr Blair for three general election victories in a row, Mr Farage for a successful vote for Brexit. And in both cases their departures have sent their respective parties into a spiral of backbiting and bickering.