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.

If Vic Starmer hadn't attended you can bet the press would be down on her like a ton of bricks. Not doing the job, not serving the country or supporting her husband. All the partners of world leaders are expected to attend. It would be seen as an insult not to, and would possibly have affected Starmer's standing with the other leaders, as he couldn't even persuade his wife to attend such a prestigious event. Then there would be conversations about whether she was happy in the marriage-a bit like when Melania isn't seen with Trump.

It’s a bit of a convention I think now

This is a good point. What is appropriate in any given setting often changes over time. World leaders and partners holding hands in public has become the norm now. It's considered acceptable by many, if not most, people.

Yes it will be. These will be the same people who defended Boris Johnson as he was "trying his best".

Is this what MN is going to be like for the next 5 years? Nitpicking over every single teeny tiny thing Starmer does?

I think you are being unduly optimistic if you think it'll only be five years.

This is something the Toryedia will be digging up for decades. Remember that the Telegraph regularly gets letters opining that the rot started with that dreadful Atlee man and his common ways.

Holding hands is kind of what normal couples do

I don't understand how it's an issue

Yep, along with everything he says or does being met with "what is a woman?". And I'm saying that as a gender critical feminist.

I don't find it at all uncomfortable. It doesn't make me cringe. They look like a happy couple at ease with each other and in any case, handholding is, as a PP has said, a convention now.

Why shouldn't the Starmers, like the Camerons and the Sunaks before them, be aware they are being photographed and think about how they will be seen? Look at how Johnson used to deliberately dishevel himself before stepping out in front of the cameras, to cultivate the rascally rapscallion image so beloved of his supporters. Why is being photographed with your longstanding partner holding hands embarrassing in any way?

Don't recall Boris taking Carrie to the NATO Summit though, and also don't remember any world press criticism for her absence. Do all the leaders take their spouses to the NATO Summit?

"she will be involved in other, diplomatic-type meetings"

You mean learning how to be a good leader's wife, or running the country type diplomatic meetings? Either way, not sure I want to be paying for that, no matter what colour is flying over #10.

Do all the leaders take their spouses to the NATO Summit?

Yes, it appears so. They are social dinners and partners programmes for the spouses at the NATO summits. From what I've read anyway.
I remember Zelensky's wife and Brigitte Macron last year.

It would look very odd if all or most of the other spouses were there and she wasn't... surely...

I think it looks like a bit of an act, and US style"first lady" . Similarly, but way worse, is seeing Jill Biden going around clapping and shouting for Biden at rallies, and making speeches. Or Melania Trump and her scrawled on jacket. It's all a bit undignified.

I also like it.

Why shouldn't the Starmers, like the Camerons

Who remembers when "SamCam" was a thing ? Not many whingers here it seems.

She looked terrified to me and I suspect it was a reassuring squeeze of the hand, nothing at all wrong with that.

My thought was why would you add to the stress of the day by travelling in a white dress 🤣

@usernamealreadytaken Carrie and 6 month old Romy attended the G7 summit. Article includes photos of Carrie with Biden, and other spouses.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/boris-johnsons-wife-carrie-shares-27345241

Melania Trump’s jacket is not at all comparable to Jill Biden supporting her husband. It’s normal to want to support your spouse at a political event, whereas Melania’s jacket sent a nasty and dismissive message that her office didn’t even try to deny. They’re both totally different things.

I think it looks like a bit of an act, and US style"first lady"

Maybe that's what you get when you pretend the UK has a presidential system - even the much missed Jacob Rees-Mogg admitted that.

He 'admitted' it because he knew he had just lost his seat! That people were voting against Rishi rather than him was a nice way to reframe it for himself.

I can see how if some bring their spouse then others feel compelled to do the same but I really wish the political world would just stop it across the board and ask that the spouses stay away. It’s a massive assumption that the couple will be happy for both to leave their children, for a start (I am not taking about the Starmers’ teens specifically, more about the assumption that any married couple can just both up and leave for “Dad’s work event”).

I work in a big professional services firm. We stopped inviting spouses to our annual partners’ conference about 3 years ago and it has made the whole event much more business-focussed and less of an annual jolly.Spouses never really enjoyed it anyway- gone are the days when a nice hotel and a black tie dinner were something that participants were impressed by- most of the spouses had their own jobs and saw it as a pain in the arse, and the people from the firm wanted to be able to talk shop in the socials as well as during the conference sessions. My husband is delighted to no longer be invited.

Yes they may be different. I’m no fan of Rees-Mogg; he is a hideous twat.

Tbh honest I'd need a hand hold after the last 7 days he's had. I'd be clutching on to my husband's hands if I'd just moved house, had billions of meeting and tv and photos, then flown to Washington to meet the whole of bloody NATO.

Oh well... he has his 'reality show' to fall back on. Like the Kardashians but with Nanny too... a six parter apparently, called 'Meet The Moggs'.

Can't wait NOT

Ahhhh... but KS has to be criticised because... ummm.... Labour won

ummm I'm a lifelong Labour supporter and delighted Sir Keir won.