Analysis Sunak looks to raise his stature on world stage

Returning from an overseas trip last year that had been broadly seen as a success, Rishi Sunak was heard privately observing that a truism of foreign policy is that even when you get things right, voters tend to not especially notice or care.

Time will tell whether Sunak's decision to throw in the UK's lot with US-led attacks on Houthi forces will stem a spate of attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. But for now the strike has won support from the bulk of MPs, despite a few qualms about a lack of prior parliamentary consultation.

Almost immediately after chairing the cabinet call that rubber-stamped the mission on Thursday evening, Sunak departed on another foreign policy mission, heading to Kyiv to promise more military aid for Ukraine.

Does all this have much meaning for the trajectory of UK politics in an election year? In one sense, not especially, not least because it seems fairly clear that had Keir Starmer been in No 10 the policy towards the Houthis and Ukraine would be almost identical.

But when you are a prime minister staring balefully at a 20-point deficit in the polls, even the traditionally more bipartisan arena of foreign policy will inevitably be viewed through the prism of political maneuverings.

And this is where the incumbent PM has a built-in advantage.