I just wonder if things are very different in the US from here. It must have been very alarming to live under the Trump regime. While our politicians here are often incompetent (and the media, thank goodness, are very quick to point this out) I still think they are basically well intentioned. Certainly our local MP comes over that way and local political societies all let their opinions be known.

I am a student of history and know that we have a tradition of not allowing our government to get away with oppressing ordinary people or with extremism of any kind – there has always been a big reaction against this – as with the reaction of ordinary people to the behaviour of Oswald Mosely and the English fascists. ‘ Peasants’ revolts against oppressors have been very frequent throughout our history and the cultural memories of this still linger in some communities.

I do find the ‘woke’ culture in the universities where people who think differently are ‘cancelled’ a bit worrying, but students have always had strong opinions and they nearly always modify them as they get older and encounter real life.