Nigel Farage is cancelled at last and he’s never been happier | John Crace

Failing to be elected as an MP on seven separate occasions was just proof of the limitations of democracy.

Last year’s National Conservatism conference in London had been largely forgettable apart from a few attention-seeking appearances from people most go out of their way to avoid.

The only vaguely new line was Nige declaring that the EU was responsible for the drone attacks that had been launched against Israel the previous weekend.

Local mayor Emir Kir had decided he could do without a bunch of superannuated rightwingers taking root in his city for a couple of days.

But they would listen to Nige, who had moved himself out to the foyer to stick his face in front of every available news camera.

The health secretary, Victoria Atkins, opened proceedings but rather left it to Labour’s Wes Streeting to make the case that preventing people from dying unnecessarily was a good idea.