On BBC Question Time, the Lib Dem MP made an observation which summarises the alienation people have to British politics. It also explains why they have turned to Ukip.

He said: “I think all politicians in all parties...are guilty of not having the clarity and…authenticity that, say, Nigel Farage has…or Alex Salmond, or even Boris Johnson. I think with quite a lot of those politicians, you may like them, you may dislike them, but people have a sense with them that they are telling you what they fundamentally believe in. And I think quite a lot of the mainstream Westminster politicians look like they’re telling you what you want them to say and that’s not the same as telling you what they believe in.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

That same week Ed Miliband was asked on local radio about Cllr Jim Grant, Swindon’s Labour group Leader, but couldn’t remember who he was – a forgivable mistake.

But the way he pretended to recall who Grant was is the problem. Why couldn’t he be honest and say he didn’t know, rather than try to cover it up?

People are tired of hearing politicians respond to questions by dodging them or repeating the party line.

We also heard David Cameron asked if he felt politically were closer to the Lib Dems or to Ukip. He repeatedly dodged the question rather than being honest. The interviewer rightly responded by saying, “There are those who say one difference between Nigel Farage and all the others is he does answers questions directly – he says what he means – comes across as a bloke who talks commonsense and doesn’t have the sophisticated communication tactics that the professionals do.”

Cameron, Miliband and Clegg left university to climb the political greasy pole with the primary aim of gaining power. Farage spent years in business before politics.

He believed something needed to be changed, principally wishing to limit the influence and interference of the state at domestic and EU level, a view many business people share.

You might not agree with everything he says, but the reason people turn to Ukip, is because their leader says what he genuinely believes, rather than what he thinks people want to hear and that is what leaders do.