Love him or hate him, Farage is the interviewer's dream

"We haven't had any rain for ages, it would have to be today," jokes Reform UK's leader

"You won't catch me doing a Rishi Sunak," he quips. 

And that, in a nutshell, sums up why Nigel Farage is being taken increasingly seriously as Britain's next Prime Minister.

When the downpour descended on Rishi Sunak, it was a moment of humiliation, and produced an enduring image of his crumbling authority. When the clouds burst over Nigel Farage, it is a light-hearted photo opportunity, a chance for him to demonstrate his sense of humour and bonhomie.

Because whether you love Nigel Farage or hate him - and there don't appear to be many people who fall in between - most politicians will look on in envy at his mastery of handling the media.

In short, he is the interviewer's dream.

For a start, he speaks in plain English. No 'unpacking' this or that, no asking what something 'looks like'. No buzzwords, jargons or slogans. Just the type of words that the average person in the street would say.  

And while most senior politicians go through interviews treading on eggshells, taking great care not to say anything that might embarrass themselves, Farage appears totally fearless. When asked how much money his team of efficiency experts will save local government, there are no caveats, no 'ambitions', 'aspirations' or targets, just a simple "I don't know, but we have a responsibility to look at it."

Could you imagine Sir Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch or Sir Ed Davey being so direct?

Even when challenged about the embarrassment of one of his new councillors in Staffordshire having to resign just two weeks after taking office, Farage is totally unflustered. 

"It's not ideal, but nothing's perfect, not even Reform." 

Similarly, when he announced his comeback as leader of Reform exactly a year ago, there was no attempt to sugar coat his brazen U-turn. He simply said 'I've changed my mind'. 

And like it or not, such frankness is what most journalists want to hear.

Of course, there is a valid argument that it easy for the leader of the fourth party in parliament, unburdened by the responsibilities of high office, to be able to say what he likes. And it is highly possible that, should he ever find himself in government, that Farage may find himself unable to speak so freely. 

But rightly or wrongly, the man who has spent years building up an image as the insurgent, the outsider, the disruptor, is now a serious contender. And it would be a major surprise if the spin doctors in the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties were not studying his style, and working out what they can learn from him.

The biggest problem for Nigel Farage is that while he may be a savvy media operator, his army of rookie councillors and MPs may not be so polished. The spat with now-former Reform MP Rupert Lowe shows the vulnerabilities his party faces.

The next election could potentially be four years away, and there is still plenty of time for the established parties to recover, and for Reform to implode.

But at the moment, Nigel Farage is winning the PR war.