IT WAS an extraordinary election with an extraordinary result.

Nothing was conventional about the 2016 campaign for the US presidency, least of all the eventual winner.

As Donald Trump readies himself to take up residence in the White House, the fall out from the stunning election win was being digested by politicians at home.

Hampshire MP’s have been among those taking stock of how the outcome will be felt on the county’s shores.

Many called for calm in the face of gloomy predictions of how Trump’s presidency would affect foreign policy.

The Conservative New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne said: “I have quoted Viscount Slim who said ‘Nothing is ever as bad or as good as first reported’.

“Just listening to the news this morning and its apocalyptic warnings that NATO is finished and free trade is finished, it all seemed a bit alarmist.

“Mr Trump, President-elect Trump has said all sorts of alarming things about NATO and free trade but we should remember US Presidents don’t hold all the power.

"They have a constitution and congress.

“The Republican Party has a majority in Congress but there is a suspicion by other Republicans as to whether he is an ideological conservative and whether he truly supports American values.

He added: “But we don’t know to what extent what he said during the campaign is what he truly intends to do.

"There are questions as to whether he has plans to do anything at all, whether he really thought he was going to win and will Congress let him do it?

"As a supporter of NATO and free trade I’m not yet in despair.”