The G7 should have been an opportunity to show Western resolve. Instead, it became a show of confusion, contradictions and missed chances. As leaders gathered in Canada amid the deepening crisis between Israel and Iran, unity was tested and exposed, in some cases, as little more than stagecraft.

President Trump, never one to resist a cheap headline, stole the show again. His toddler like instincts came out once again, leaving early while making dramatic threats and hollow statements may appeal to a certain style of politics, but they do nothing to build trust or strategic coherence. Isolationism dressed up as strength is still isolationism, worse, it leaves a vacuum that others are often only too eager to fill.

Meanwhile, Israel stands where it always has when threatened: Resolute, unwavering and mostly alone. My support for its right to defend itself is not contingent on public mood or diplomatic fashion – it is rooted in principle. But principle must always be backed with strategy, and that’s where the West, including Britain, needs to do far better.

G7: Plenty of Statements, Little Substance

The joint communiqué, far less for not having Trumps signature, made all the usual noises – condemnations of Iranian aggression, affirmations of support for Israel, nods to regional peace. But beneath the surface, the cracks showed. President Macron’s pivot toward renewed diplomacy was vague at best, Canada offered warmth but little weight, and America – despite its permanent seat at the table – chose performance over purpose.

Trump’s insistence that Tehran evacuate cities “immediately” wasn’t strategy; it was pure theatre…and dangerous theatre at that. The same isolationist tone that once unravelled confidence in NATO and abandoned the Kurds now threatens to define the West’s Middle East posture.

We cannot afford more posturing in place of policy.

A British Role Rooted in Responsibility

So where does Britain fit in all this?

Not at the centre, perhaps. But that does not mean we are irrelevant. Quite the opposite: our value lies in what others increasingly lack – consistency, professionalism, and a willingness to do the work behind the scenes.

But this is where Starmer will be strongly tested. Because delivering that kind of role – thoughtful, strategic, unshowy takes more than soundbites and slogans. It takes a government with clarity of purpose and the depth of understanding to match its words with action.

What the UK needs to deliver is:

• Supporting Israel’s security not only with words, but with partnership and intelligence-sharing.
• Strengthening diplomatic channels with Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE who are doing the heavy lifting in keeping lines to Tehran open and humanitarian corridors functioning.
• Leading on aid logistics, with British civil society and government expertise combining to ensure that what we fund is delivered, accounted for, and makes a difference.

Conservative Statecraft: What We Must Recover

This is a moment for measured strength, not vanity diplomacy or shrill populism. That’s why I believe the UK must rediscover the best of our Conservative tradition in foreign policy: pragmatic, values-led, and unafraid to take quiet responsibility where others chase headlines.

We cannot out-muscle America or diplomatically outmanoeuvre Paris, but we can outlast the theatrics. That means:

• Standing by allies like Israel not just when convenient, but when it’s difficult.
• Calling out Iran’s destabilising behaviour not just in public statements, but through sustained multilateral pressure.
• Ensuring that any peace we support is more than just a pause; it must be a platform for longer-term stability, with the right people at the table and the wrong people kept out.

The Power of Quiet Influence

The West will not win this contest through soundbites. And Britain cannot afford to drift between grandstanding and disengagement.

If we are to play a role in shaping peace and resisting chaos, it will be through consistency, clarity, and credibility. These are not glamorous traits but they are the ones that last.

I love the theatre but it has no place in the serious business of foreign policy; this week’s G7 was a reminder that the world needs grown-ups at the table.

It’s time we sent more of them.