Like many people who believe they are right, even when they are wrong, it is rare that I apologise. And even rarer for me to do it in public. But today I feel the need to do so.

Back in April, during a visit to the UK, Barack Obama made a speech at the Foreign Office, in which he urged us not to vote to leave the EU. And like a lot of people in this country, irrespective of their views on Brexit, I was a tad annoyed that a foreign leader should try to interfere in what I saw as our own political future. “What business is it of his?” I was heard to mutter on more than one occasion as I saw the speech continually replayed in the media.

But in the last few weeks, I have watched with a growing sense of disgust and outrage, one of the two main candidates for next month’s US Presidential election make plain his attitude towards other races, other religions; towards a multicultural society; and particularly towards women. I have shared on social media video clips of powerful speeches by Michelle Obama, by Barack Obama, by Hilary Clinton and others. I have wanted to shout out to my American friends, “Please don’t do it. Don’t make this person the most powerful man in the world.”

In other words, I too wanted to interfere in another country’s politics, because I realised that more so today than ever before, what affects one country, affects all countries. 

So, Mr President. I apologise.