To wish Sir Keir and his wife would not hold hands when working

[BeaQuiet]

They've arrived in Washington DC on official business clutching hands like the Macrons, the Obamas and the Sussexes.

AiBU to find it a bit cringey?

And before anyone asks, yes I do have bigger things to worry about but I fancy a chat.

Where was I unpleasant?
I don’t ’keep tabs’ on spouses either. But I do watch the news and therefore remember seeing spouses at them before.

Which of BJ's children @BIWI

I think they are told to, so they have something to do with their hands. That isn't cringey.

It's cringey when grown adults won't let go hands to let you pass on a pavement, though.

Like whatever!

They just can't win, can they. Totally disagree with OP.

I love the way the pecksniffs are suddenly all “just asking questions” and “don’t really pay attention “ when they are joining in the tut tuttery so happily.

@IcedPurple ’s JAQ’ing off is just a typical faux innocent pile on. Of course male spouses go along to these events. As was widely reported at the time.

At the G7 summit in 2021 in Cornwall, all the spouses of those attending were there. There's lots of pictures out there of it. Carrie got married just before so she wouldn't feel awkward, I think there's pics of her strolling along the beach with Macron's wife!

I disagree. They’re not on holiday, they’re arriving in a professional capacity with the cameras of the national press on them. “Working” for them is not the same as “working” for us (ie going into the office).

It’s obviously a conscious decision to present a united front and to tell the world how they want to be perceived as a couple.

And yes of course world leaders hold hands with their spouses 😂

Do you do it every second, every minute, every time you are out in public?

So ‘of course world leaders hold hands with their spouses’, but Starmer doing it is unprofessional and inappropriate. You’re going to have to explain your thinking on that one.

We're perhaps a little bit annoyed because as always, people of a certain political persuasion are looking to slate a brand new PM with trivial , inaccurate and hypocritical comments instead of going for policy. 5 minutes in and the smearing and sneering is full on. Sore losers aplenty on MN.

Do the Starmers?
Oh look! No they don’t!

Ah, but I’m reliably informed that it’s only ‘the left’ who are bitter or insulting or sore losers. Odd.

That wasn't cringey when DT did that it was just downright rude. Not even because she was the queen, but because you just don't do that to an elderly woman whoever they are.

Precisely.

cardibach how dare they not hold hands! That marriage is in trouble I tell you!

(p.s. She is an attractive woman isn't she)

No, neither do the Starmers.

Sounds like some Laura K's have joined us here!

That look on her face in some of the photos was priceless, though.

Because they are in a professional environment.

Being photographed holding hands by paparazzi while you’re in Cornwall on your holidays, or in the park with your kids, is one thing. Holding hands when you’re on duty and in work mode and you know the press are going to be there is quite different.

It’s the same reason we rarely saw any PDA between the late Queen and Prince Philip. It wasn’t because they didn’t like each other, it’s because 99% of the time if the cameras were on them they were in work mode and it was considered unprofessional.

Yes, the thread about how conservatives are more gracious in defeat is looking more like comedy gold by the minute.

@poppymango The Queen is not the Prime Minister. The Queen also has people curtsying to her, no one curtsy's to Prime Ministers.
Leaders around the world hold hands with their spouse in these situations. It is normal.

Really?! What a puerile question.

I was talking about at the summit, and all similar events. They hold hands. Maybe they’re told to, maybe they want to, but they all do it. It’s not unprofessional. It’s normal.
The Royal family have self imposed (daft) rules about it I believe, but actually their lives ARE the job. For Starmer the job is the political management of the country so he’s not at work unless he’s in a meeting, not really.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/political-man-handle-suddenly-okay-12438765

I'm not sure this really applies here. Most (if not all) here are women, some of us are POC and some of us are labour voters. Doesn't mean we can't find constant PDA's cringey though.

It’s not just leaders, it’s anyone at all when in a work capacity. Hence my comment earlier about imagining my manager and his wife constantly holding hands while walking around the office.