Donald Trump is showing what Brexit Britain could and should have been

As opportunities go, it's right up there with Paul Gascoigne in extra time of the Euro 96 semi-final against Germany at Wembley, and England not managing to see off India last month at the 4th test at Old Trafford. And - fittingly - it was at another great British sporting venue that this missed golden opportunity was highlighted in all its unforgiveable ineptitude.

To anyone who voted for Brexit, or was even persuaded to at least give at a go after the biggest democratic mandate this nation has ever seen, how galling must it have been to see European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen racing across the Channel to attend the court of US President Donald Trump at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. Remember the utter disdain shown towards Theresa May which, at times, actually bordered on downright rudeness as the other European leaders moved into a tight huddle to freeze out the then British Prime Minister?

How different it was this time, with Trump toying with the EU and leaving them breathing with relief over a deal that, in truth, leaves them well and truly bunkered!

Just imagine if the UK had shown a mere scintilla of that resolve, instead of behaving like a heartbroken teen trying to win back affection after having been spurned by a lover. No injustice nor sleight was too grave for us not to meekly roll over and concur.

By any measure the 'Turnberry Accord' as it is called - yes, it is even named after Trump's beloved golf course - is bad for them.

While they avoided the initial threat of 30% tariffs, at 15% it is higher than that imposed on the UK. And on steel and aluminium that tariff rockets to 50%, double what the UK must pay.

In addition, the EU has agreed to $750billion of energy purchases from the US and $600billion of EU investment into America.

Hardly surprising then that much of Europe is bleating the deal is totally one-sided.French President Emmanuel Macron has remained angrily silent to date but his prime minister Francois Bayrou described it as "a dark day" and said the Euro bloc had "resigned itself into submission."

Germany's business lobby said it was "a fatal sign" for the future of US/EU trade and Ireland expressed deep concern.

Opposition was perhaps best summed up by French European Parliament member Valerie Heyer who said: "The lesson of this agreement: we are an economic giant but a political dwarf."

However, worryingly for the EU, 15-years ago their economy and that of the United States were the same size. Today, Europe's is 25% smaller.

However the EU still proved more than a match for the legion of British politicians who tried to forge a proper Brexit deal only to cave in at the first sign of any dissent from Brussels.

No one can support every single action or utterance the President has made over the last 200 plus days, but he certainly displayed "the art of the deal" on this occasion. He noted the division among the EU's 27 members and exploited it ruthlessly.

Meanwhile, we are left to reflect on what might have been.