Starmerish diplomacy is earning global respect – but Britain remains unconvinced

While foreign leaders warm to a steady, pragmatic prime minister, voters at home are waiting to be impressed

- Andrew Rawnsley

Fore! Donald Trump will be visiting his golf courses in Scotland later in the month and Sir Keir Starmer will fly north to meet the US president.

A London-based foreign diplomat wondered of me: “Has the prime minister been practising his swing?” I replied that he has no known interest in golf. I could have added that he turned down the honorary membership offered to all prime ministers by the club nearest to Chequers. But who knows? Given his dedication to nurturing relations with other leaders, the US president above all, maybe Sir Keir will use the impending parliamentary recess to head down to the driving range.

The time he has devoted to international relations and the relative success of his efforts has been a double surprise to Starmer-watchers. Given the groaning plate of domestic challenges he inherited, he came to power expecting to be primarily focussed on the home front. Yet people in a position to know reckon he’s spending roughly 50% of his working hours on international business. His calm and collected approach to crises has won plaudits even from political opponents. There’s a bittersweet feeling among colleagues that their leader has been more deft at representing Britain to the world than he has been at advocating for himself to Britons.