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.

Is she there as a private person? Who is paying for it all? She wasn’t elected.

Another thread on this? How ridiculous 🙄

It's sad, and quite telling, that some people find small signs of affection in a marriage odd.

Perfectly normal behaviour between a married couple on the international stage.

Never going to be as cringey as anything Trump did just by existing.

Here are your victorian smelling salts... When you gather your wits a bit, appreciate the fact that the man has one of the toughest jobs to do in one of the toughest situations for avery long while. If a handhold helps him through, by all means, go for it. At least he's not behaving like Boris!

YABU, doing this is absolutely fine and normal for leaders.

Anyway, you can be certain you are in the minority as it will have been focus grouped!

Standard for the wives / husbands of international leaders to be dragged abroad for these things. They do a surprising amount of back room diplomacy and glad handing.

Is he at work though when stepping on/off a plane? Not sure he is, I doubt they’ll be holding hands in the meetings he’s flown out for.

VS has been thrust onto the world stage because of the ridiculous expectation that she should take part. She’s taking part as expected. I’m sure she’d rather be pursuing her own career/with her family.

This is pathetic. Spouses/partners are regularly included at international events. This is not a new thing.

And who is paying for what? The plane is in the sky. The bed will be a double. So I suppose the breakfast cost - paid for by the host country - is additional.

YABU. I think it’s quite normal on an international stage.

I also think it's a bit weird, but maybe it gives them both comfort and reassurance? It must be very strange to be suddenly thrust onto the world stage and have to face loads of photographers and so on.

It would be good to see the new PM saying that he can function in his job without his partner there. Doesn’t she have a job in the NHS? Does he go to work with her? How did she get the time off just like that? Any appointments cancelled?

I pointed out to DH the other day that neither of us could ever become Prime Minister as we never hold hands and it seems to be a requirement of the job.

Very much agree. I want to hear from the people I've elected, not the people they're sleeping with. Why would I?!

Doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'm glad to see happily married people showing this very love level affection.

The wives are expected to go. The host wife usually shows the other wives around. There are also official dinners.🤷‍♀️

My first thought was it's better (and probably cheaper - and we know how important that is to some MNetters) for security reasons to have them together where possible than him in one place and her another.

You can bet your life that the same posters whining here while the coffee machine brews would have equally loud views had something happened to Lady Starmer while the PM was away. For all the nice chap theatre of yesterday there are still nutters among us who wish us ill - grave ill. And the family of the PM are going to be forever targets in that.

If such a look endears a raving communist to his American hosts, then it's a happy side-effect. Probably a little bit over the top to appear brandishing an assault rifle, ammo belt, and shouting "Yee haw", although that would probably break Fox News.

She's na part time occupational therapist, yes.

I also suspect she can take unpaid leave when her husband has just become the PM and is off to address NATO.

It's probably been in planning since the election date was announced in May. You might find she's taking a few months off. And why not - they can afford it and she gets to participate in some pretty eventful times with her husband!

They held hands not genitals, its entirely appropriate and quite nice

It’s holding hands, not a blow job on the sofa in the Foreign Office!

I wonder what Boris is up to these hours ?

Rishi Sunak and his wife walked away hand in hand after he formally conceded defeat outside Number 10. I thought it was rather sweet.

She wasn't there on any of his campaigning. We get fed that she is very much an ordinary NHS working wife who gets time off and wears very expensive clothing---- 🤷‍♀️

Honestly? I hadn't even noticed. Isn't holding hands just kind of a normal thing (says the woman whose ex husband didn't even kiss her for 10 years let alone shag her)? I don't mind it at all. I like a handhold. It reminds me that love is still out there and worth it (even if I never know it again). And it's a supportive gesture.

I find it cringey too. Perfomative

I don't suppose Victoria eats very much anyway.