Britain seems likely to have Boris Johnson as its prime minister. Max Hastings, previously his editor at The Telegraph newspaper, wrote of him this week: "There is room for debate about whether he is a scoundrel or mere rogue, but not much about his moral bankruptcy, rooted in a contempt for truth." I find it hard to think of a less suitable prime minister in UK history.

Mr Johnson is not alone. The UK's most influential political figure is Nigel Farage, an anti-EU fanatic. Mr Johnson's rival for the role of prime minister will be Jeremy Corbyn, a 70-year-old left-winger who admired Hugo Chávez. The US is ahead of the UK. Donald Trump's failures of character, not least his pathological lying, put him in a class of his own among US presidents.

The two countries that saved liberal democracy in the 20th century have lost their moral compasses. Many citizens no longer seem to care whether their leaders are scoundrels. Not long ago, people viewed these nations as models of successful democracy. Now the US is viewed as a bully and the UK as a fool. Messrs Trump and Johnson are seen as contemptible, ludicrous, or both.