Reaction to the news that Roger Helmer is to stand down as one of the East Midlands MEPs is meeting with a mixed reaction across the region.
Reports are reaching us of wailing and gnashing of teeth in Market Bosworth and the more remote regions of Kesteven, while there has been dancing in the streets of Matlock.
As we go to press there are Facebook rumours of outbreaks of public disorder in Cropwell Bishop.
But I thought it would be appropriate if Liberal England paid its own tribute to Mr Helmer. He has certainly given us plenty to write about.
He first spoke of retiring from the European parliament in 2011 when he was still a Conservative. But when the Tories declined to allow him to be succeeded by a self-proclaimed expert on UFOs and alien abductions, he decided to say on and cross the floor to Ukip.
In August 2012 he was obliged to move his office from the Harborough Innovation Centre, a facility for start-up tech companies opened with the help of public money. "I have to admit I'm not a start-up tech company,” he admitted.
That same month he was a few seconds from providing this blog with a scoop.
In August 2013 he told Stephen Nolan of his belief that girls aged under 16 could consent to sex.
And in October 2014 he performed the considerable feat of discovering a Thai massage parlour in Lutterworth.
Since then things have been quieter. But, truly, we shall not see his like again.
A few minutes later. A report on the Guardian site suggests we may not have heard the last of Mr Helmer:
Roger Helmer, a key member of Ukip’s top team, is resigning from the European parliament, ahead of a demand to repay around £100,000 of EU money for alleged misuse of public funds.
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