TODAY'S topic is the inadvisability of conducting political campaigns in licensed premises.

Especially if your policies are of an extreme nature and involve changing the face of Europe. But enough about Adolf Hitler and that bit of bother in a Munch beer hall back in 1923..

You would think that Nigel Farage, who has guided his UK Independence Party to 25% of the vote in England, would have more savvy than to hold a press conference in a Scottish pub. Mr Farage's lack of popularity in these parts resulted in his having to be led to safety in the back of a polis van.

The plan was for Mr Farage to have a chat with representatives of Her Majesty's Scottish political press corps in the Canon's Gait bar on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Nigel does the jocular chat, pint in hand, thing very well.

He was knocked out of his affable stride by 50 student protesters of a left-wing disposition determined not to let the Ukip message be heard. Among the things Farage learned in Edinburgh is that he is, in the opinion of the demonstrators, a "bawbag". (If it's any consolation, this is not as bad as "ratbag" which is how Tory benefits axeman Iain Duncan Smith was addressed in his recent visit to the capital.)

I should emphasise that I am not saying Nigel and his chums are cut from the same brown shirt material as Adolf and his Nazis. Ukip may be unhappy about immigrants living in Britain but, even if the party did get into power, surely they would not be loading people on to trains as part of a relocation initiative.

Ukip may disapprove of the European Union but surely it does not want to return to the old ways when Britain and its neighbours had home-and-away wars every 25 years.

Remember that Mr Farage and Ukip observe the democratic rules and cannot be compared with other bully boys who wrap themselves in the Union Jack. (Mind you, Hitler also stood for election. He came second but ended up in power.)

The 50 Edinburgh students did Scotland no favours by denying Ukip freedom of speech. The excessive protest gave Mr Farage the opportunity to combine Scottish nationalism and fascism in the same sentence. He was able to say: "The anger, the hatred, the shouting, the snarling, the swearing was all linked in to a desire for the Union Jack to be burnt."

Mr Farage was wrong. We don't burn flags. A protester actually told him where to stick it in what could be called a Union Jacksie moment.

Ukip will not be beaten on the streets but in the polling station. You know where to stick your vote.