"Britain has made its point. We can do the past. The rest of the world may be more powerful and richer than we are, but only Britain can embody statehood in a banquet. Only Britain can force the titans of the digital age into white tie and tails, and reduce an American president to quivering admiration. The question is where now?"
"How could such a country handle a struggling NHS, with its courts and prisons in disarray and its Treasury not knowing where to turn? What of its prime minister, embedded in woes of past and present, but with no vision of the future? It was the past that cost Keir Starmer both Angela Rayner and Lord Mandelson, key figures in two major areas of his policy."
Britain displayed potent ceremonial statecraft during a high-profile state visit that emphasized tradition and soft power. Ornate pageantry impressed foreign dignitaries and boosted tourism, while key formal interactions with central political institutions were limited. Domestic systems face significant strain: the NHS is struggling, courts and prisons are in disarray, and the Treasury is uncertain. Political leadership lacks clear vision; Keir Starmer lost senior figures and struggles to enforce discipline amid resignations over past conduct. Many leading ministries are run by inexperienced ministers, and several departments suffered neglect over the past five years.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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