Earlier this week, Keir Starmer did a totally standard thing. The newly elected British prime minister made a visit to one of the UK’s biggest neighbours, Germany, which also happens to be a Nato ally. He then went on to France. In a normal world, this in itself would not be considered remarkable – but nothing should be considered normal in the post-Brexit times we live in.
During the Brexit negotiations, the relationship between the UK and Germany sank to a very low ebb. Conservative ministers made it clear with their public statements that diplomatic etiquette and basic politeness towards international partners were less of a priority than impressing their domestic tabloid press with anti-European rhetoric. Those days are thankfully behind us, but it still took Starmer’s predecessor, Rishi Sunak, a year and a half to make it to Berlin, an omission that did not go unnoticed among German officials and caused more than a little pique.
