𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

“Never Here Keir” took to the skies again on Monday, as he jetted off to France for the G7 summit. Travelling with a press pack of more than 25 reporters is hardly the ideal backdrop for an embattled Prime Minister facing the prospect of an Andy Burnham leadership challenge within days.

Sir Keir would much rather the gathering of the world’s major economies focused on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, support for Ukraine, and strengthening global trade. But with Donald Trump in attendance, events are unlikely to stick to the script. The US president is expected to renew his attacks on European leaders over immigration, with Sir Keir firmly in the firing line. Mr Trump reportedly views many of America’s allies as weak for allowing mass migration from countries whose citizens are hostile to the West.

Sir Keir may also find himself defending Labour’s newly unveiled social media ban for under-16s against criticism from a White House increasingly aligned with Silicon Valley’s free-speech agenda.

Security will be another uncomfortable topic for the Prime Minister. Just days before the summit, defence secretary John Healey dramatically quit amid a row over funding for Britain’s defence investment plans.

That leaves Sir Keir with awkward questions to answer in a potential clash with Mr Trump, who has repeatedly demanded that European nations spend more on their own security rather than relying on Washington to pick up the tab.

The summit does at least begin against a more optimistic backdrop, with reports that a tentative US-Iran deal to end the conflict has been reached.

But the question hanging over the conference is not what deals world leaders can strike – it is whether Sir Keir will still be around long enough to see them through.

While the Prime Minister is posing for family photos and shaking hands with fellow leaders, Andy Burnham will be on the ground in Makerfield ahead of Thursday’s crucial by-election. Fellow Labour leadership hopeful Wes Streeting is also expected to make an intervention this week.

Sir Keir may be representing Britain on the world stage, but back home, the race to replace him has well and truly begun.