Nigel Farage has pulled off many political PR coups but probably none better than managing to engineer a meeting with Donald Trump before any other UK politician.

No wonder that he was grinning like a Cheshire cat in that elevator dripping with gold as the two posed for photos.

He followed up the meeting in Trump Tower with a series of interviews with broadcasters, saying that he would be willing to act an emissary or some kind of special envoy to smooth the way for the government and the President-elect to meet and forge a relationship between the two.

While the idea was slapped down by the government, Farage knows just how valuable the meeting was. Not because he really expects to be handed a role as an unofficial - let alone official - fixer.

The idea of him retreating from the political frontline is about as credible as the notion that he will be handed some kind of Uber-ambassador role by Theresa May.

The headline-grabbing gilt-edged photocall helped underline that he remains a political player even though he is standing aside as party leader and has declared he wants his life back.

The idea of him retreating from the political frontline is about as credible as the notion that he will be handed some kind of Uber-ambassador role by Theresa May.

So, while there’s no chance of getting a government job might there be a chance of him getting some kind of role in the Trump team as a trans-Atlantic middleman.

Unlikely as it may seem, this year has been one in which political predictions have been turned on their head.

And with Nigel Farage, it is always wise to expect the unexpected.