President's ambition meets its match in solid Starmer

In refusing to retaliate, the prime minister has become the immoveable object of global politics

- Sean O'Grady

Say what you like about Keir Starmer, but he's a fine exponent of the British art of understatement.

The prime minister spoke up on behalf of a country that is unusually united – even Nigel Farage is just about on side – in being shocked and appalled by Donald Trump's threat to invade Greenland, destroy Nato, and lay waste what remains of British industry through punitive tariffs.

For his emergency press conference, the prime minister put on his most serious face (and that is very stern indeed) and declared that the president's actions had been “badly received”. Which is one way of putting it. Rather like, you might say, the way that the former Prince Andrew's attempt to “clear the air” in his infamous interview on Newsnight was “badly received”.

Still, it is not difficult to break the code. The British, a few mavericks on social media apart, hate Trump. Starmer's restrained words were his way of transmitting that sentiment to the White House. Beneath all of Starmer's diplo-speak and legalese, the talk about the need for “pragmatism” and “partnership”, there was a clear message to Trump that he is “wrong” - a simple, clear word - about tariffs, and about taking Greenland against the wishes of the Greenlanders, and, for what it's worth, against international law.