As the giant aubergine that is the UKip battle bus hove into view of the gathering media circus, Nigel Farage, showman that he is, suddenly picked up the microphone and, beaming away, started to mouth how Britain needed to take its country back.

“We want our borders back, we want our passports back and we want our country back. And if everyone votes with us on June 23, we will make it UK independence day,” declared old Nige to the bank of cameramen lined up outside – ironically perhaps – Europe House in Smith Square; one-time home of the Conservative Party in the days of Thatcher.

READ MORE: Farage warns over repeat of 'racist' protests on Scots visit

As the chief Ukipper launched the deep purple battle bus from the top deck, he boasted: “We have the best drinks cabinet anywhere in the country on here,” later making clear that it was stocked with British beer; naturally.

As one snapper shouted for Nige to hold his placard up a bit higher because people could not see his face, Mr F snipped back: “Surely, that’s a good thing.”

Finally after a million clicks, the party leader emerged from the bus, declaring whimsically to the scrum of lensmen: “Tickets please!”

When one hack suggested his non-desirability on the official Vote Leave double-decker meant a lot of people “can’t stand you,” Nige said: “I don’t care. They can do their campaign, we’re doing our campaign; together we’ll have a good result.”

Amid the shuffling media circus and photographer cries of “over here, Nigel,” one passer-by shouted helpfully: “Rubbish, complete rubbish!”

READ MORE: Farage warns over repeat of 'racist' protests on Scots visit

But another onlooker was desperate to shake the head Ukipper’s hand, saying: “We need to make Britain great again.” As Mr F thanked him, his new friend declared afterwards: “That’s a real patriot.”

Nige then whipped out his European passport, which he lovingly described as “this grotty thing,” and said: “We don’t want this, we want our passport back…We’re going to put open borders, immigration, front and centre of what we’re campaigning about.”

Earlier in the day, David Cameron had been at the famous Abbey Road studios to meet assorted celebrities, who had in their hundreds endorsed the Remain campaign earlier in the day. Asked about the support for staying in the EU from the creative industries, Nige sniffed and said: “If I lived in a £5 million house in Notting Hill I’d probably say the same…They’re rich luvvies!”

He said the celebrity endorsement of Remain illustrated the battle lines in the campaign. “It is the Establishment, it is the wealthy, it is the multinationals, it is the big banks, it is those whose lives that have really done rather well in the last few years who will support Remain and against them is the people.”

READ MORE: Farage warns over repeat of 'racist' protests on Scots visit

As the self-styled people’s champion was engulfed in another media sea, he revealed that next week he would be in Aberdeen talking to EU-hostile fishermen. Pointing to his Scottish salmond cufflinks, Nige insisted his reception in Scotland would be “very good”. Time for Nige and the giant aubergine will tell.