Sir Keir Starmer’s expressionless face may have led to unfavourable comparisons with robots, but it served him well in the Donald J Trump ballroom.

While the US president held court for an hour and 10 minutes – fielding questions on everything from the suffering in Gaza and US interest rates to the dead paedophile Jeffrey Epstein – the Prime Minister kept his eyes dead ahead, like a passer-by trying to avoid eye contact with someone talking to themself.

He encountered a president in top form after two days of golf at one of his favourite courses, and 24 hours after unveiling a trade deal with the EU worth trillions of dollars in investment.

After small talk on the steps of Turnberry with Sir Keir and his wife Victoria – who Mr Trump described as “very respected – about Aisla Craig, the island in the distance, discussions soon turned to Russia and Palestinian statehood.

The president went on to say: “I don’t know what he’s [Sir Keir] doing but she’s very respected, as respected as him. I don’t want to say more, I’ll get myself in trouble. But she’s very, she’s a great woman and is very highly respected.”

Perhaps tellingly, Lady Starmer did not join the Prime Minister and Mr Trump later on an Air Force One flight to Aberdeen.