Trump’s back. But the real question is: Where is Britain going?

As the US withdraws from global cooperation, the UK has a choice - drift further or reconnect with Europe.

Donald Trump is at Chequers today. While we stare on, mesmerised by the show, it is a chance to ask a serious question: where is Britain going?

Trump’s visit does not demand outrage. It demands reflection. It’s a very fortuitous thing that the President loves our monarchy and our country, particularly Scotland. But as the United States turns away from global cooperation, Britain still faces a choice. Do we follow its path, or do we chart our own?

Britain at a crossroads

Trump’s political style is well known. He prefers deals to diplomacy, loyalty to law, headlines to harmony. His approach is not just personal. It reflects a growing shift in the world, a retreat from alliances, from institutions, from shared values.

Britain should not follow that trend.

We have always been better when we look outwards. Our strength has come from building relationships, not breaking them. From leading with example, not echoing other people's slogans. As Trump walks the lawns of Chequers, we should be asking ourselves where we stand. Not just today, but in the years ahead.

We may have left the European Union, but Europe remains our closest partner. We share security concerns, supply chains, energy needs, cultural ties and academic networks. These are not sentimental connections, are practical everyday issues.

It is time to rebuild trust with Europe. That doesn’t mean rejoining the EU (though I would still vote that way in a referendum if there was one). Britain’s future is not just across the Atlantic. It’s also across the Channel.

The world is moving fast. Europe is forming new alliances. America is stepping back. If Britain stands still, we risk being left behind.

When Trump leaves Chequers, the story will move on. But our strategic challenge remains.

Let’s begin again.

I wrote a bit more about this last November: