I want Clinton to be beat Trump. Let me make that clear at the outset. I’ve got friends in the United States and none of them deserves Trump. But I’m not sure Obama advanced the cause today.

In a rhetorical flourish to end (in our dreams!) all rhetorical flourishes, Obama worked the Democratic Convention audience and declared that “no man or woman has ever been more qualified … than Hillary Clinton to serve as President of the United States.” “Not me”, he said, “not Bill”. But that must also mean not any President since American time began. So “not Washington”, then, in all his truth-telling purity. “Not FDR”. “Not Lincoln”. Not anybody.

Well, Barack, I’ll take your word for that – in fact, I’m only too ready to believe in the “unqualified” status of all America’s past Presidents (after all, I remember Nixon!). But do you mean that out of this long line of unqualified people the one figure who has emerged as “qualified” turns out to be Hillary Rodham Clinton? Hillary “Wall Street”, “emails” Clinton? If that’s what you mean I’m glad you’re retiring, mate, because you have lost the plot.