I watched last week’s television programme on the seemingly unstoppable rise of Donald Trump and there appears to be little doubt that he has a very strong chance of winning the US Republican presidential nomination and therefore a one in two chance of becoming the next President of the USA.

His campaign to win the Republican Party nomination has been extremely effective in spite of (or is it because of?) the fact that much of what he has said has been controversial and provocative. Indeed, it has been noted by political commentators that the more controversial he is the more his popularity grows.

It seemed, listening to the people interviewed in the Trump television documentary, that they are worried about losing their jobs, they are concerned about mass immigration and they are concerned about the security and safety of their families. That certainly strikes a chord across many parts of the West.

People who feel alienated and tired of the policies of their elected leaders will naturally look elsewhere, to politicians who say what they want to hear and promise them what they want, no matter how implausible. If Donald Trump does end up as President of the USA it will undoubtedly act as a wake-up call to many other leaders in the West.