Credit where credit's due: Sir Keir Starmer pulled off a real zinger in his visit to meet President Donald Trump at the White House. Publicly producing an official invite from the King for a second state visit was guaranteed to win over the half-British and pro-monarchy President.

The prime minister wants to keep everyone happy. He has been loath to criticize Trump, has warmed up Britain’s post-Brexit partnership with the European Union, avowedly backed Kyiv and thawed ties with China. At a time of geopolitical upheaval, he is attempting to squeeze Britain into an impossibly tight Venn diagram.

Starmer at a meeting in Washington last week used a mixture of flattery and the invitation from the royal family for an unprecedented second state visit to try to win a commitment