They marched in Nairobi. They marched in Sydney. They marched in London. The global Women’s March against Trump – which also numbered some men – was an impressive show of global solidarity by people in pink knitted hats with a witty line in placards. I’m sure it heartened those in America who remain reconciled to the triumph of Donald Trump.

It heartened me, in a way. Watching the TV political obits of the Obama presidency, I almost cried. This dignified, charming, inspirational man hardly put a foot wrong during his years in the White House. Literally, sometimes. Unlike his predecessors, he didn’t collapse while jogging, fall down the steps getting off a plane, forget his lines, throw up during a state banquet, violate an intern or choke on a pretzel in his eight years.

His was an historic achievement, and he lived up to the hopes vested in him. He gave America the nearest thing it will have to a health service, he boosted the economy, he set an example and took action on equal rights, and he took climate change seriously. His is a fine legacy, and most of it is about to be scrapped. So no wonder folk are upset.

In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Show all 32 1 /32 In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London An image of President Donald Trump is seen on a placard during the Women's March in London, England Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A view of the skywriting word reading 'Trump' as thousands rally in support of equal rights in Sydney, New South Wales EPA In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Rome People shout and hold signs during a rally against US newly sworn-in President Donald Trump in Rome Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A protester holds a placard during the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille A placard ready 'Pussy grabs back' is attached to the handle bar of a bike during a 'Women's March' organized by Feminist and human rights groups in solidarity with women marching in Washington and around the world for their rights and against the reactionary politics of the newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok A young Thai girl holds a "women's rights are human rights" sign at Roadhouse BBQ restaurant where many of the Bangkok Womens March participants gathered in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok A Thai woman takes a photo of a "hate is not great" sign at the women's solidarity gathering in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Bangkok American expats and travellers gather with the international community in Bangkok at the Roadhouse BBQ restaurant to stand in solidarity in Bangkok, Thailand Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protetesters gather outside The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille Women's March at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Marseille Protestors hold placards reading 'My body my choice, my vote my voice' during a 'Women's March' organized by Feminist and human rights groups in solidarity with women marching in Washington and around the world for their rights and against the reactionary politics of the newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump, at the Old Port (Vieux Port) of Marseille, southern France Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Rome A person holds a sign during a rally against US newly sworn-in President Donald Trump in Rome Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Kolkata Activist Sarah Annay Williamson holds a placard and shouts slogan during the Women's March rally in Kolkata, India AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Kolkata Activists participate in the Women's March rally in Kolkata, India AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A Women's March placards are rested on a bench outside the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London A women carries her placard ahead of the Women's March in London, England Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Manila Women protesters shout slogans while displaying placards during a rally in solidarity against the inauguration of President Donald Trump, in suburban Quezon city, northeast of Manila, Philippines AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Berlin Protesters attend a 'Berlin Women's March on Washington' demonstration in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Melbourne Protesters take part in the Melbourne rally to protest against the Trump Inauguration in Melbourne, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters take part in the Women's March rally in Macau Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Melbourne Womens march on Melbourne protestors marching during a rally where rights groups marched in solidarity with Americans to speak out against misogyny, bigotry and hatred Rex In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters hold placards as they take part at the Women's March rally in Macau Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Macau Protesters hold placards as they take part at the Women's March rally in Macau, Macau. The Women's March originated in Washington DC but soon spread to be a global march calling on all concerned citizens to stand up for equality, diversity and inclusion and for women's rights to be recognised around the world as human rights Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Manila A mother carries her son as they join a rally in solidarity against the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States in suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines AP In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney An infant is held up at a demonstration against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A woman attends a demonstration against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydney A woman expresses her Anti-Trump views in Sydney, Australia Getty Images In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump Sydeney Protesters demonstrate against new U.S. President Donald Trump in Sydney, Australia. The marches in Australia were organised to show solidarity with those marching on Washington DC and around the world in defense of women's rights and human rights Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protesters march from The US Embassy in Grosvenor Square towards Trafalgar Square during the Women's March in London, England Getty In pictures: Women of the world march against Trump London Protesters carrying banners take part in the Women's March on London, as they stand in Trafalgar Square, in central London Reuters

People outside America, though, do need to get a sense of perspective. We seem to be shading into a mindset where the “leader of the free world”, a fairly useless bit of cant, becomes our property too. Well, he ain’t. He’s America’s problem/asset. They voted for him. It’s their country, their government, their business.

Under the federal system, which protects the rights of smaller states in the union, he won the presidency fair and square (give or take a little Russian interference – but that again is matter for the Americans to sort out). To be honest, despite my personal feelings, I know that whatever Trump does to Obamacare is not going to affect me. If he builds a wall on the border with Mexico, that’s much more a matter for someone in Texas or Arizona, or Mexico for that matter, than someone parked in London.

I didn’t have a vote in the US election, and it feels uncomfortable to be telling the American people, in effect, that they made what Trump might call a “yuge mistake” in putting him in power. I don’t have to pay federal taxes, I don’t have to watch people go on death row, I don’t have to worry, or not, about gun crime, I don’t have to worry about who’s going to win the World Series, because I live in the UK, not the US. Sometimes we neglect that important truth.

Thousands attend Women's March on London protest against Trump

I fully concede, indeed am painfully aware, that what President Trump says and does affects the rest of the world. I don’t like his attitude to the media; I don’t like his populism and erosion of faith in democracy, I don’t like his protectionism, I don’t like him scrapping Nato, I don’t like what he says about women, and I don’t much like anything else. However, we are going to have to get used to him and get along with him; we need to persuade not hector.

In truth, we have had to do so for far worse ogres than him. If Britain only dealt with “nice” countries with pleasant humane non-sexist leaders we’d have a much smaller bill for maintaining our embassies abroad, and HM the Queen would be much less busy entertaining foreign leaders – but it would hardly be in the British national interest.

Tony Blair – I hesitate to use the name, but hey, why not – set the example. He went from cordial relations with his social democratic soulmate Bill Clinton to an equally close (if ill-starred) partnership with George W Bush, who was no one’s idea of a leftie. We didn’t lecture Bush about his domestic policies, and he didn’t tell us what to do with our NHS or schools. Blair did his best to push him along the righteous path in foreign policy, and in the end Blair made his own error of judgement on Iraq. We cannot blame Bush for that.

We – women and men – can march all we like and make as many jokes as we like about this “barbarian”, as many view him, and satirise him on Radio 4 shows, but the bloke in charge of the biggest economy in the world, the biggest military in the world and, admittedly, the biggest ego in the world is there to stay.