Despite usually being a fan of escaping domestic trouble with travel abroad, Keir Starmer would be forgiven for thinking his trip today was terrible timing. The Prime Minister was in Paris this afternoon for a summit hosted by president Emmanuel Macron tackling the thorny issue of how to make the Strait of Hormuz safe again.

Starmer joined Macron alongside approximately 50 representatives of other countries for the meeting – named the ‘Strait of Hormuz Maritime Navigation Initiative’. While many leaders, including those from Australia, Canada and South Korea, dialled into the meeting virtually, Starmer and Macron were joined in person by their German and Italian counterparts Friedrich Merz and Giorgia Meloni. Notably, no representative from the US was invited.

At a joint press conference held after the summit, Starmer, Meloni, Merz and Macron delivered a pointed message that clearly appeared directed at Donald Trump. Starmer reiterated the leaders’ call for the Strait to be reopened ‘with no tolls and no restrictions’ and said ‘unnecessary trade restrictions’ should also be avoided. He also confirmed that Britain would, alongside France, lead a ‘multinational mission........

© The Spectator