Watch: Nigel Farage on why Ukip is still relevant

Nigel Farage emerged from his summer break today to kickstart his party’s No campaign. The Ukip leader hit out at Eurosceptic Conservatives who he believes are lazy and ‘there is no No campaign’ at present. But he won’t be putting himself forward as a candidate to lead the official No campaign —  instead focusing on his grassroots efforts with a tour of the country in September.

I caught up with Farage, who appeared refreshed after ‘trying to keep away from people like you’. He denied that by attacking Tories, he is beginning Ukip’s No campaign on a negative footing:

‘You will have seen in national newspaper columns this week a shed load of abuse thrown at me by some of these people. I’m not throwing it back, I’m urging them; I’m urging them: if you believe in what we’re trying to do, please get off your up back side and come and help us, come and share a platform with us.