The categorisation of Starmer as an HR manager has never seemed more apt than the past week. A period of almost unfathomable events, where the worst of our fears bore its repellent head.
Starmer indulged in his shtick; a poor showing in the White House and a bruising at the hands of MAGAism and its acolytes would have left him with little else to go. At his core he resembles an HR manager—a people-oriented leader who strives to foster harmonious relationships with colleagues. His ideology is complete nothingness; a vacuous person who was used as a blunt instrument to purge Corbynism from the Labour Party, who now finds himself as Prime Minister. That does not make him redundant or necessarily a bad person, politics is dirty and Starmer is ever showing ruthlessness in achieving his goals. However, the lack of assertiveness in domestic affairs necessitates an ambitious foreign policy that positions Britain as a leading force in the global order.
The Western world is still trying to find its feet in the post-truth age and Starmer seems to have located his quicker than most. Ignoring the Zelensky fracas for one moment, the performance of the Prime Minister at the White House was a masterclass in political diplomacy. Yes, the non-stop grovelling was vomit-inducing, but the ends had been established, this was simply the means that had to be taken.
Sam Freeman elucidated on Bluesky that Starmer is at his best when “he is reacting to a specific problem where he has a goal”. In Washington the goal was clear; expose Trump’s intrinsic adoration for Britain at any opportunity, dispel any inane contributions from Vance and demonstrate Britain as a key broker in securing a peace deal. When considered from that perspective, it can only be seen as a tremendous success.
The past week has only crystallised the notion for Starmer – Ukraine is the silver bullet. The right has nowhere to stand when it comes to berating the Prime Minister’s actions, the common consensus from those in the UK is unequivocal support until it is needed no more. Starmer, you expect along with Macron, must seize the moment and become the broker. To push Trump that will not provoke his erraticness and cement the idea that Europe can stand on its own two feet. The fawning is what Trump appreciates, but it is the toughness that garners respect from him.
The calling of the European Summit on Sunday was bold but it suited the methodical approach that he espouses. The distinct absence of any charisma or political intuition is working to his advantage, allowing McSweeney, Powell and Lammy to choreograph everything behind the scenes and for Starmer to simply be the front man. Walking Zelensky into Downing Street, laying down the red carpet for him and letting him meet the King at Sandringham is all part of the wider manoeuvre to keep the Ukrainian at the forefront of the public consciousness. At it is essence, this is deeply cynical, but politics is dirty, and the Ukrainian leader is the stick which Starmer is going to beat the nay-sayers with.
Sunday evening saw the commitment of troops to protect the border of Ukraine, a hugely loaded statement. To state that it was a direct provocation that could entail a Russian retaliation would not be seen as misguided. It is why the categorisation of the broker must stick; everything is about keeping his position at the direct route of call for both Trump and Zelensky. It is an extremely hard balancing act, but one that cannot fail. The repercussions of the misguided cuts to foreign aid have already been felt in the cabinet and amongst much of the liberal electorate. The Labour Party is a moral crusade, or it is nothing is still a summation expected to be acted upon by those on the left.
Starmer is going to have to contend with the backlash, but the misguided and wrong choice – which it was – to cut foreign aid must be quashed. A peace deal has to be brought forward that brings everyone to the table, allowing the cuts to be viewed as necessary collateral in this new world order that Europe now inhabits. It has so far been the making of the London lawyer, but trepidation should still be present within this vibes landscape – where loyalties do not exist, and respect is granted to the highest bidder. This will be his defining moment, a perceived failure would not only be terminal, but existential to Europe as we know it.
