The problem with Farage is that he offers a very simplistic message that plays well with people who hold toxic views.

He basically says most of our problems stem from the EU and immigrants. It's easy to say and sounds so plausible and fits in neatly with those who are not keen on foreigners.

But the reality is that life is far more complex than that. EU membership is not remotely the clear cut issue that he would have you believe.

We do gain real benefits from membership and if we leave we will feel real pain. That doesn't mean the EU is perfect. It most definitely isn't.

But it's hard to present an honest picture of the EU, when the simplistic one offered by Nigel sounds so plausible.

And exactly the same goes for his attitudes to immigrants.

The vast majority of people who come to this country from the EU or elsewhere make a huge contribution. It is only a minority who take advantage or cheat the system, but to hear Farage talk you would think they are in the majority.

Farage plays the two cheapest games in the political book.

Firstly, he makes simplistic claims and offers easy answers to our problems. We know to be careful when an advertiser says "buy my scheme and become a millionaire in three weeks". But apparently when a politician like Farage tries a similar approach we swallow it hook line and sinker.

Secondly, he uses the ultimate trick of the extremist ideologue: namely scapegoating. blame all our problems on someone else: foreigners, immigrants, the EU. That's another message that plays well with those who are too lazy to think for themselves.

For all those reasons he is highly toxic and dangerous.

So just to sum up:

• he misrepresents himself (man of the people, not of the establishment - what a joke that is)

• he presents a simplistic message that implies we only need to address these two issues and everything will be much better

• he panders to the haters and racists by scapegoating foreigners.

For all his charming persona, he is basically a pretty toxic and dangerous individual. God help us if he gets his hands anywhere near the levers of power.