Sir Keir Starmer met with South African president and G20 summit host Cyril Ramaphosa after touching down in Johannesburg for a trip he will use to promote support for Ukraine and make business deals ahead of next week’s crunch Budget.

The Prime Minister said it was “really important to be” at the gathering shunned by Donald Trump and announced deals worth £400 million for trains, planes and submarines.

Downing Street defended Sir Keir’s travel – coming days before the Budget is expected to raise taxes and despite the US president’s absence – saying he would use it to shore up support for Ukraine as Washington has been drafting a peace plan with Moscow that would reportedly require Kyiv to give up territory and weapons.

Sir Keir, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chanc

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