Bernie Sanders' singular refusal to compromise the principles of his left-wing crusade have helped earn him the nickname "America's Jeremy Corbyn".

In policy terms there certainly are similarities, although Mr Sanders sits somewhat to the right of Mr Corbyn. He identifies himself as a "social democrat". Opponents often truncate that to "socialist", and cast him as unelectable. But in truth, Mr Sanders has no desire to take the means of production into state ownership. Industries like rail, water and power, would remain in private hands. Nor does Mr Sanders want to unilaterally abolish nuclear weapons.

However, the main pillars of his platform - an NHS-style healthcare system and free college tuition - would resonate strongly with Mr Corbyn's audience. So would his desire to raise taxes on the rich and introduce a significant rise in the minimum wage, bringing it to $15 an hour. Overall, Mr Sanders and Mr Corbyn occupy similar positions on the left of the political spectrum in their respective countries.

Mr Sanders, who was easily re-elected senator in Vermont in November's midterm elections, has also taken aim repeatedly at the Pentagon and would cut US defence spending. One area where he agrees with Donald Trump is that European countries should bear more of the cost of Nato.