Thread 18 Starmer: All sides of the House agree apart from the Trump bootlickers

[DuncinToffee]

Previous thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5264338-thread-17-starmer-treading-softly?page=40&reply=142243865

I said on a different thread that I am inclined to think for now that Starmer got a good result, given the warm words and the surrounding diplomatic necessities.

But he really hasn’t “played a blinder”. That’s just fanciful.

I accept that Starmer is in the hot seat and that Badenoch will never have to deal with Trump (unless Trump changes the constitution - who knows with that strange man), but I think there’s a general impression forming that Starmer’s been weak.

I don't think they care much about details

Bit more non paywalled info
https://kyivindependent.com/ft-nord-stream-restart-talks/

I think you need to read the room a little better. Or at least your copy of the Sunday Mail.

Tbf that is high praise coming from Rummly, can't have been easy to type

Badenoch isn't weak. Look at how well she's managed Braverman.
I wonder how exactly differently she would have handled Trump.

Why on earth would anyone think that Sir Keir has been weak? It seems to me that he's playing a very clever game of diplomacy. His logical, rational approach to things is just what we need here.

Can you imagine if this had happened when any of Johnson, Truss or Sunak were in charge?

I imagine Starmers call to Zelensky on Friday night went along the lines of "Sorry mate, I did everything I could to get him in a good mood ready for you, even roped the King in."

God forbid.

I read somewhere (sorry can't remember where) that the outlets owned by Paul Marshall, GBnews,Spectator, Unherd, are the ones still supporting Trump.

Mind you I'm laughing at some of the comments on that Starmer thread about how he can cope with long hours because he doesn't have the mental load of sorting the kids dental appointments etc. Like world peace is just a stress free bit of fluff.

The art of diplomacy is how you play the hand you've got, not the one others think you have.

Starmer did and is doing very well.

I think they would have been just fine.

Line up in London today

🇬🇧 Starmer
🇺🇦 Zelenskyy
🇫🇷 Macron
🇩🇪 Scholz
🇮🇹 Meloni
🇨🇦 Trudeau
🇪🇸 Sánchez
🇵🇱 Tusk
🇩🇰 Frederiksen
🇳🇴 Støre
🇫🇮 Stubb
🇸🇪 Kristersson
🇳🇱 Schoof
🇨🇿 Fiala
🇷🇴 Bolojan
🇹🇷 Fidan
🇪🇺 Von der Leyen
🇪🇺 Costa
NATO’s Mark Rutte

I agree on Sunak,the other 2 I am not so sure on.

Johnson would probably have put his foot in it at some point. Truss doesn't bear thinking about.

Yes, it’s odd that Starmer should be thought so much more able to deal with Trump than any predecessor. Wishful thinking.

But he still did well enough. He could have got a disdainful response from Trump, particularly in view of all the Labour history in that area. But he pulled that off.

Sunak and Starmer know their brief, the details unlike Truss and Johnson

Yes, just as long as you don't need to get the cat in or buy milk.

Interesting as to who is not invited. And a bit sobering

The Baltic state leaders

Turkey is interesting

Some omissions from Eastern Europe, a Europe within.

How the EU is going to cope with this I don't know. Until they have a plan then the UK should be very careful, What is the plan for Russian friends in the EU?

I've been reading for a long time about an European Defence force involving the majority of EU members but not all. No idea how the UK fits into this.

There is a picture of Starmer at Lancaster House currently having a zoom call with the leaders of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

Elon tweeting that the US should leave NATO and the UN doesn't fill me with hope.