Donald Trump: so-called strong-man politics presents Sir Keir Starmer with a challenge
Strong-man politics is the modus operandi de rigueur of world leaders right now, the handshakes in recent days between United States President Donald Trump and that of French President Emmanuel Macron more akin to a wrestling match than a meeting of world leaders.
Policy changes, administerial amendments, strategy announcements are fired off, staccato, with all the musicality of a Les Dawson performance – except, of course, such was the talent of the late Mancunian funnyman that never were we left in any doubt that he knew what he was doing.
The same can hardly be said for Donald Trump, who yesterday threw his weight behind an AI-generated future for Gaza, a land and people obliterated by force, depicted as a Disney-esque utopia whose Mickey Mouse main protagonist was none other than Donald Trump himself.
Were these words to be written in this newspaper just a decade ago, quite rightly, questions would be raised as to the sanity of those holding the pens.
It is against this backdrop that the invidiousness of the statecraft required by Sir Keir Starmer should be viewed: the geo-political landscape is volatile, unpredictable and where a misstep should occur, consequences will follow.
It is therefore to the credit of Mr Starmer that he moved so swiftly to show genuine, full-throated commitment to defending these shores, and helping to defend those of Nato allies, by increasing defence spending, and, of course, timing is everything. Getting ahead of his take-off to Washington with this policy announcement best-places the Prime Minister and the United Kingdom for talks.