DONALD Trump deserves respect for emerging as the Republican presumptive nominee for the US presidency, Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted.

Does he?

Sources close to Mr Cameron have privately suggested that their sympathies lie with Hillary Clinton, the front-runner for the Democrats, but suggested they are now keen to build bridges with Mr Trump.

Mr Cameron and other global leaders may be forced to backtrack on their earlier views that Mr Trump was nothing more than a loud-mouthed outsider as the prospect of President Trump becomes more possible, but we are not hamstrung by the niceties of international politics.

Mr Trump's ability to knock out the other Republican challengers in what has been a bitterly contested campaign may warrant acknowledgement but 'respect' - that is a step too far.

Mr Trump is a dangerous, rabble rousing bigot who specialises in whipping up hate, threatening cataclysmic trade wars, and spouting sickening rhetoric.

The opinion polls, for now at least, are clear that Mrs Clinton would easily defeat him in November 8th's poll. But he has already started to moderate his language and recruit skilled advisers to guide him towards the White House. Republicans who attacked him during the primaries will gradually endorse him, and he will dump some of his offensive policies, such as his proposed ban on all Muslims travelling to the US, in a bid to appeal to the middle ground.

Voters in the US may increasingly find themselves seduced by a man who revels in being anti-establishment, unafraid to speak his mind. To earn our respect, however, he will need to do a lot more than soften the edges of his more abrasive views.

An unequivocal retraction of his obscene comments about women, gay people and ethnic minorities would be a start. Respect however, is a long way off.

He is openly misogynistic and has claimed that parts of London are "so radicalised" that police officers are "afraid for their own lives".