When Sir Keir Starmer holds lunchtime talks with Donald Trump in the White House he must play his ace card - Brexit. Britain’s course for the rest of this decade and beyond is on the line in this high stakes showdown with the US President. Tariffs, a trade deal, global defence, Nato, Russia and China are all on the table.

President Donald Trump said he would restart long-stalled negotiations on trade with the UK, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer heralded a “new economic deal” between the two countries.

The prime minister wants to keep everyone happy. He has been loath to criticize Trump, has warmed up Britain’s post-Brexit partnership with the European Union, avowedly backed Kyiv and thawed ties with China. At a time of geopolitical upheaval, he is attempting to squeeze Britain into an impossibly tight Venn diagram.