I know what you’re thinking - this blog is going to be about fake news. Well that’s one area I wouldn’t dream of raising. Of course there were as many people at DT’s inauguration as there were at Barak Obama’s eight years earlier and how dare anyone suggest otherwise! The photographic evidence produced was nothing but a smear by the liberal left and of course the Washington Post. As for the women raising accusations of sexual misconduct, of course it’s fake news. After all the tape recording of him boasting of such conduct was never intended for broadcasting, so why should anyone believe it to be true?

Trump is here today and gone tomorrow, but the same could never be said for the persona of Santa Claus. He has been going strong for decades and if anything his reputation is on the rise. He first emerged on the public scene in the 17th century after the English Civil War and he has enhanced his position at the heart of the celebration of Christmas over the centuries.

There is however one important feature that Santa Claus and Donald Trump have in common - their UK ancestry and then the massive boost in their image through domination of the US. Donald Trump’s mother, Mary Anne Macloed, was born on 10 May 1912 in Isle of Lewis, Scotland. As well as his US interests, Trump has developed a number of business interests in Scotland.

Trump’s golf resorts became a source of concern to those involved with environmental issues. I well remember an interview with Trump with the media when he was considering his latest venture on the Scottish east coast. “Have you an expert environmental impact assessment Mr Trump?” a member of the media asked.  “I’m my own environmental expert” was the reply. His withdrawal from the Paris Climate Change Accord shows just how true his assessment was and just how expert he is on such issues.

Santa Claus also has a UK pedigree, but it took American marketing and ‘bigging up’ to really make the change in his fortunes. Until Victorian times, he was connected in people’s minds with adult feasting and merry-making. But as later Victorian Christmases developed, his reputation for nocturnal visits and gift giving was fully understood. His way of dressing also became his trademark as well as his use of reindeer and sleigh. He had made it big, perhaps we might say even bigger than Trump himself despite all his expert self-promotion.

There is another uncanny resonance between these two figures. Both have given a significant boosts to the art of impersonation. It is hard to think of any political figure who has spawned as many wonderful impersonators as Donald J Trump. Indeed the art of satire, has been reinvigorated through Mr Trump’s “excellent” efforts. He certainly has made American humour “great again” about which I am sure he is truly proud. Santa Claus is also much impersonated - in fact I think he has a serious problem which he urgently needs to address. The number of impersonator has reached epidemic proportions. In my opinion it is high time he sought expert legal advice on the issue. I am sure Jackson Lees would act on a matter of such serious public significance!

P.S. a very Happy Christmas to you and yours.