If Starmer is on a US charm offensive, he must meet Trump as well as Harris | Kim Darroch

The former president remains the likelier winner of the election, and the UK needs a working relationship with whoever is in the White House

In April 1966, according to legend, a chance encounter in a traffic jam on Sunset Boulevard led to the formation of the rock group Buffalo Springfield. They took their name from a steamroller built by the Buffalo-Springfield Roller Company, whose factory was located in Springfield, Ohio. In a brief career, they produced some great music, including one all-time classic, the protest song For What It's Worth.

Two of its members, Neil Young and Stephen Stills, went on to superstardom. And that was the 15 minutes of fame for the town of Springfield ... until a few days ago, when Donald Trump relaunched it into the spotlight, and prompted a thousand memes, by asserting in the presidential debate with Kamala Harris that the Haitian immigrant community in Springfield were abducting dogs and cats from their neighbours and eating them.