Now we have to give him chance

IT was within touching distance – the dream that a woman would, for the first time, hold the world’s top job.

Just hours before results were announced I wrote that with Hillary Clinton in the White House no longer would a girl grow up believing there was a job she couldn’t get. No pinnacle she couldn’t reach.

Today that job and that pinnacle remain out of reach. Because today the world’s top job is held by a man who treats women like bubble gum – he has used, abused and spat us out.

A sexist of the old school, he bragged about grabbing women by the “pussy”. He’s called us pig, fat, slob, dog. He’s said women should be punished for having abortions.

All that, it appears, is OK by men and women who knew what he thought – then voted for him anyway.

Today could have been one of the greatest in women’s march towards equality. In fact it has been a lurch back to the dark days of keeping our mouths shut, our dreams contained.

HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR

IN this newspaper yesterday I called Donald Trump a foul-mouthed bigot, and in New York I’ve likened him to Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

So it is out of no sense of affection I now urge Britons to do what we do so well – to make the best of things.

On Brexit, where President Obama wanted to send us “to the back of the queue”, Trump seems keen to pursue a good trading relationship with us.

The Wall Street stock market has fallen after 17 of the last 22 elections, but in almost all it quickly rebounded.

Some leaders grow in stature when in office. He will be surrounded, if he is sensible, by some seasoned political figures who supported him.

America wants change. Donald Trump is not the man many wanted, but people despised Ronald Reagan at first too – so let’s suspend our ire, for a couple of months at least.

Dr Andrew Roberts is a visiting professor at King’s College, London.