I was a British diplomat - this is what is really going on at the state visit

To the public, Trump’s unprecedented second state visit will look like flags, smiles and soundbites. Behind closed doors, it’s a high-stakes diplomatic balancing act – briefing ministers, calming nerves, and making sure Britain gets what it needs.

With China and Russia flexing their might, and Europe more distant since Brexit, no UK visit matters more. Having run a senior Royal visit, I’m no stranger to what it takes to pull this off.

So what will the British Government be thinking? We hear politicians talk a lot about the “national interest”: here’s where these phrases become more than soundbites. What does Britain want from this big opportunity? This is when the policy teams crank up into action, writing submissions to be cleared by directors, to be passed to the Foreign Secretary an