PRESIDENT Donald Trump has arrived in the UK, having said he is “fine” about any objections to his visit.

Extra security is in place to police a number of protests taking place across the country but Mr Trump said he thought Britons “like me a lot”.

Is he correct? His assertion might well prompt the reply: “What’s to like?”

Would it be un-British to simply list the myriad reasons why anyone in this country with a modicum of good sense would regard Trump as, at best a boorish freak and at worst a dangerous, bigoted, sexist, ignoramus who is sending US democracy, justice and diplomacy back to the stone age?

Those in favour of rolling out the red carpet to the President often back up their argument by pointing out that British Prime Ministers and even Her Majesty The Queen herself, have shaken hands with war criminals or sat down to dine with dictators.

It is true that Britain has a long history of inviting controversial and embarrassing guests on state visits, from homicidal maniac Mobutu Sese Seko, the then president of Zaire, in the 1970s, to Robert Mugabe, Nicolae Ceau?cescu and countless other ne’er do wells..The point being that compared to these controversial figures, President Trump is a pantomime villain.

“Diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions,” reckoned Churchill.

Enduring the Trump visit is one thing but showing him respect would be a step too far.