He has done it before but the resignation of Nigel Farage seemed a little more decisive than the one he declared last year, when he failed in his bid to become MP for South Thanet.

But rather characteristically, he left just enough wriggle room for a reboot of the Farage brand - though not as an MP which he said was "not on his bucket list."

There was the standard “let’s wait and see” comment when asked about the 2020 election - leaving the door ajar to the possibility that the infamous open-top purple double decker bus might be hauled back into service one more time.

By his own admission, he is the classic Marmite politician equally loved and loathed by voters.

But he has never been troubled by his detractors, seeming to relish the way he could get a rise out of the political elite he likes to target.

His style of politics is the equivalent of taking a big stick and jamming it into a wasps nest to see what happens.

His critics regard him as boorish and rude; his supporters see him as the ultimate “anti-politician” willing to say what others privately feel.

His skill was to convince people that Ukip was a viable political alternative and turn it into an electoral force none of the other parties knew how to tackle. Ukip has become a haven not just for disaffected Conservatives but increasingly Labour voters.

His style of politics is the equivalent of taking a big stick and jamming it into a wasps nest to see what happens

Kent has become a stronghold for the party in recent years, largely due to his efforts, and it remains to be seen how it will fare now it has lost its talisman.

County council elections loom next year - a key test of whether the party which became the official opposition at KCC in 2013 maintains its appeal.

And while the party continues to run Thanet council, it has not been without its problems. Its key challenge will be to set out a convincing policy platform now that it has achieved its main objective of securing a Brexit.

As to Farage, the self-styled people’s politician, will he be able to cut his ties with politics completely? It is hard to imagine.

But for now politics will be a little less colourful without him.