Keir Starmer dressed up in military uniform becomes the latest political meme

Political photos have sparked some exceptional memes over the years. There’s former culture secretary Nadine Dorries glaring during a BBC News interview, Matt Hancock’s “zombie” walk, Liz Truss’ official Downing Street portrait and now, Sir Keir Starmer in a camouflage outfit looking like something out of a big budget action film.

Snapped by Stefan Rousseau, the Press Association’s chief political photographer, Sir Keir is seen with soldiers at the Tapa Nato operating base in Estonia, close to the Russian border.

The visit to thank UK troops, of course, comes amid the ongoing war triggered by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine last year, with Sir Keir saying Putin’s Russia is a “real and constant threat” to Europe.

He also said the UK and its allies “need to be prepared” and “need to deter” when it comes to dealing with Moscow’s actions, and in an interview with GB News a day later, the Labour leader did not rule out using nuclear weapons to protect the UK.

He said: “The nuclear deterrent is very important to us. Obviously, I’m not going to discuss with you the circumstance in which they may or may not be used, but it is a very important part of the defence of our country that we are strongly committed to, along with our commitment to Nato and to the security of our nation, which is paramount.”

Sir Keir’s “unwavering support” of Nato is in contrast to that of his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, who has been a vocal, long-standing critic of the military alliance.

Oh, and ever the source for high-quality journalism, GB News asked Sir Keir if he knew what “rizz” – the Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year for 2023 – meant.

“I do, but I can’t remember,” he admitted, before Hope reminded him that it comes from the word “charisma”.

Fascinating insight - truly.

And in more silliness, Rousseau’s picture of the Labour politician has become an instant meme – with some claiming he’s managed to do what Tory leaders haven’t and actually look good in a military photoshoot:

It’s certainly different from Boris Johnson’s press visit to North Yorkshire last year to witness some training of Ukrainian troops, during which he was filmed lobbing a hand grenade.

It seems military photo opps with politicians are just the gifts which keep on giving…

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