‘Tetchy’ Rishi is making enemies abroad… and it won’t win him friends at home

Sparking a silly row over the Elgin marbles has made the PM look less than statesmanlike – and losing his ‘Mr Calm’ reputation is a bad move for him and his party, writes Andrew Grice

Tea, but no sympathy, for Rishi Sunak (PA)

Why did Rishi Sunak throw his marbles out of his pram when his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, merely restated his country’s long-standing desire to bring home the Parthenon sculptures (known in the UK as the Elgin marbles)?

The only explanation is that Sunak cancelled their meeting to look tough and patriotic – and that he is desperate to find every last pea he can shoot at Labour, who would surely allow the British Museum to loan the marbles to Greece.

Bizarre. I can’t imagine a man in The Dog and Duck turning to his mate and saying: “Did you see what that Keir Starmer did on the Elgin marbles? I’ll never vote for him now.”