French president more interested in meeting the king and the sound of his own voice than joining PM in celebrating agreement on migration
N
igel Farage couldn’t believe his luck. Another cloudless sunny day. The water mill-pond flat. What better way to pass the time than to take to sea and film yourself for X? This was the world shaped in his own image. A small rubber boat, rammed with irregular migrants being escorted across the Channel. First by the French navy, then by UK Border Force.
And Nige wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Every successful migrant fuels his grievance and adds to his popularity. He’d be gutted if the French made more efforts to stop the flow of migrants. Would be at a loss to know what to do with himself. But for Keir Starmer, who was in the middle of trying to negotiate a migrant deal with Emmanuel Macron, the image of another small boat arrival was distinctly suboptimal.
When an international press conference gets delayed it generally only means one thing: that one side is less than happy with the deal negotiated and is desperately trying to secure a better deal. Begging, pleading. Anything to be able to say they have got something to shout about. Otherwise, the whole thing is a bit of a letdown. All that work. All the pageantry. The royal banquets. The honour of an address in the royal gallery to both houses of parliament. And for what? A result you’re going to struggle to sell to a sceptical nation.
