Nuttall's here...but the streets are empty

He arrived in style aboard a purple open-top bus, merrily posed for selfies and even signed autographs.

It is fair to say Paul Nuttall, Mr Farage's unfortunate successor, didn't have quite the same effect when he came to the same town on Tuesday.

There were of course a handful of loyal UKIP members, two obligatory bodyguards and journalists.

But there were also puzzled expressions on the faces of shoppers, many of who had to ask reporters who it was with the pink tie and stubble beard.

On being informed it was the leader of UKIP - a party which secured nearly four million votes at the last General Election - they shrugged their shoulders and carried on minding their own business.

There was one passer-by who shouted "Go on Paul!" and alleviated fears there was in fact nobody in the town that had recognised Mr Nuttall.

It is not for want of trying on his part. He was happy to speak to one lady who did stop for a chat after finding out who exactly he was.

That is perhaps more than can be said for Prime Minister Theresa May who, if you ask the Labour party, has been hiding ever since she called the election.

But Mr Nuttall's problem is that he just hasn't got the charisma of Mr Farage - and those in his party know it.

Sedgley's Michael Hirst, a loyal UKIP supporter, had stopped to say hello to Dudley councillor Bill Etheridge who was showing the leader about. I asked him what he made of Mr Nuttall.

"I would rather have Nigel," he said, honestly. "He was a good leader. I met him a couple of times and it is not quite the same without him."

Mr Hirst said he will still be voting for UKIP on June 8 but how many others will be lured elsewhere in the absence of Mr Farage as top dog?

Some recent polls have put the party as low as six per cent - that's half the share of the vote they had two years ago.

Mr Nuttall was defiant the party's brightest days are yet to come and believes the polls will improve for UKIP over the next five weeks.

But he was less adamant about his own position at the helm regardless of the result in his chosen constituency, Boston and Skegness.

"What happens to me is irrelevant," he said. "Whether I win or I don't - and I think I am in with a good chance of doing so - is irrelevant.

"What matters is that the party stays on the pitch and gets people elected to Westminster. Who that is is actually irrelevant in the long run."

It is true that No 10 once described Nigel Farage as "irrelevant" but I doubt you would find himself doing so.