"The whistle-stop diplomacy from the former foreign secretary has prompted questions in Whitehall over who is really driving the government's foreign policy at a time when it is more important than ever."
"Beneath him though there are quite a lot of people all of whom are doing slightly different jobs and who think of themselves as the real foreign secretary."
"Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, meanwhile, has spent much of 2026 abroad, including trips to Washington, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia."
"John Healey, the defence secretary, was in the city to talk to counterparts about Ukraine, while the Cabinet Office minister Nick Thomas-Symonds was there to discuss the government's attempts to forge closer EU relations."
JD Vance's meeting with UK Justice Secretary David Lammy highlights the active involvement of various UK officials in foreign diplomacy. Lammy's upcoming trips to Washington and Barcelona, along with Keir Starmer's international summit, indicate a busy diplomatic agenda. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has also been traveling extensively, attending conferences in Berlin and engaging with global counterparts. This flurry of activity has led to concerns about who is truly steering the UK's foreign policy amidst these multiple engagements and roles.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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