A prime minister’s time is valuable and finite. That’s why the taxpayer generously funds various perks such as a flat above the shop, car and driver. But leaders still can’t be in more than one place at a time, and so where they choose to go – and be seen – is always revealing.
That is in large part because their very presence sends a deliberate signal as to what they think is important, and what they want the public to care about. It’s why Boris Johnson was rarely pictured outside of a hospital. And it also explains why Rishi Sunak’s decision not to attend the COP27 climate conference in Egypt is significant.
