Getting Donald Trump to log out the Chagos Islands deal is a giant win for Quantity 10 and a vindication of Sir Keir Starmer’s softly, softly method to the unpredictable president.
So, why is that this important step ahead being downplayed by authorities officers?
Getting the prime minister’s spokesperson to verify their achievement turned a guessing sport that started within the morning and carried on into the afternoon, as journalists tried to learn between the traces of the rigorously crafted assertion.
Politics newest: PM admits value of residing disaster ‘ongoing’
Requested repeatedly if President Trump had rubber-stamped the plan handy again Chagos – together with the UK-US navy base Diaego Garcia – to Mauritius, the identical restricted response got here again.
“We are working with the Mauritian government to finalise the deal and will put it before parliament when it’s done.”
The distinct lack of fanfare certainly offers us a glimpse into the fragile state of affairs that the federal government is coping with in Washington.
The calm method on the floor belies a pressure beneath, inside which regular diplomatic guidelines are suspended and issues might change drastically with no warning.
It might be that in the course of negotiations over tariffs and different areas of commerce, celebrating wins for the UK is deemed imprudent.
It might even be that the president’s selections will be overturned on a whim with out warning or clarification.
Regardless of the cause, it is clear that Washington’s boldness and swagger is being met with the other technique right here – take the wins the place you may however do not have fun if you wish to cling on to them.
