Except that there was such an outcry about his refusal to save the planet that he sheepishly got on the plane anyway, and flew a 5,000-mile round trip to the climate summit.
When Keir Starmer became prime minister in July, he was off to Washington on day five for a Nato summit, and then to Berlin and Paris before the end of the month. Eyebrows were raised among former ministers, and questions were asked about whether he had allowed officials to capture his diary.
After a pause in August, Starmer’s foreign trips resumed: Berlin, Paris, Dublin, Washington, Rome, New York, Brussels, Berlin, Samoa, Budapest and, this week, Paris and Baku. Sky News calculated that he would be out of the country for 22 days out of 77.
The voters have started to notice. Luke Tryl, who runs focus groups for the More in Common campaign for the better understanding of politics, said on Monday: “‘Starmer always seems to be abroad’ has started coming up spontaneously in our focus groups.”
Denne historien er fra November 13, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
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Denne historien er fra November 13, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.
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Murray to coach Djokovic for Australian Open title
Andy Murray will coach his longtime rival Novak Djokovic before and during the Australian Open in January.
Jones's complex legacy adds intrigue to must-win clash
It was with not inconsiderable disappointment that news came through on Friday afternoon that illness had laid Eddie Jones low and the Japan head coach would be unable to conduct a planned press conference.
Mighty Springboks ensure Wales end year without win
Wales slumped to a 12th successive Test match defeat and head coach Warren Gatland saw the pressure ramped up on him as world champions South Africa won 45-12 at the Principality Stadium.
Jackson profits as Chelsea put the chaos behind them
In typically unconvincing fashion, Chelsea march on, thanks to the striker who is now, nestled nicely in Erling Haaland’s slipstream, perhaps the Premier League’s second-most-effective marksman.
Arsenal's heartbeat returns to restore missing quality
The Emirates rose to its feet as soon as it became clear Martin Odegaard would be departing.
City slump to fifth straight defeat after Spurs mauling
Five in a row has taken on a different meaning for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola.
‘No zero-risk flight paths remain over Middle East’
Aviation group warns of dangers ranging from attacks by Houthi rebels to overloads of air traffic control systems
Satellites spy North Korea’s huge imports of Russian oil
North Korea has allegedly imported more than a million barrels of oil from Russia this year, flouting United Nations sanctions, according to satellite analysis.
Cop29 secures last-minute $300bn climate finance deal
Delegates finally agree after a dramatic day of prolonged negotiations and loud protests echoing through corridors
Rabbits with missing eyes and ears had deadly virus
Dozens of rabbits found dead with missing eyes and ears had a \"dangerous\" and \"highly contagious\" form of hepatitis, according to the RSPCA.
