Jogs, jaunts and jeers – after the last lingering embrace will G7’s visual feast leave a diplomatic legacy that matters?

By Andrew Adie

So the G7 Summit in Carbis Bay is over and the sound of heavy sobbing is coming from the desks’ of picture editors around the world.

While the ‘fireside’ chat and detailed diplomacy maybe conducted behind closed doors, the non-verbal communications, imagery and outside antics were carefully choreographed for maximum public impact.

This G7 was a feast for the eyes, ranging from beach BBQs to branded pasties, elbow-bumps to thumbs up and no end of getting close and personal between leaders desperate to showcase their influence and connections to the watching world.

The one thing you can be sure of is that every move is thought through and deliberately landed.

So when it is pointed out that HMS Tamar patrolling off the beach at Carbis Bay was recently sent to the Channel Islands to intervene in the French fishing blockage, we can be fairly confident that it wasn’t an accident. Yes there may have been only so many ships available but it seems unlikely that this small detail didn’t go unnoticed or undebated ahead of the Summit.

Equally, for those (myself included) who delight in watching the jostling to display athletic prowess between leaders, there was fun for all. Boris apparently managed a cold swim and a jog most mornings (in trademark ‘wild’ shorts), with Justin Trudeau apparently also managing some impressive rapid jogging along the beach. The less generous-spirited may point out that as Carbis Bay beach is only a mile long it doesn’t necessarily make the best route for a committed runner but that would be churlish.

Equally the battle of the PJs (who has the largest jet and how many images can we get on the steps), caused its usual diversions. No one can beat Airforce One (which is the point) but Biden did manage to bring Marine One as well. Which turned out to be invaluable as South Korean President Moon Jae-in also turned up in his nation’s Boeing 747 but at least it’s also US made so some consolation there.

‘Public hug-time of the Summit’ has to go to President Macron and President Biden who managed to get the image that the rest of the leaders’ would no doubt have loved, arms around one another, heads close, smiles lingering playfully across their lips. If only the Cornish shanty band had taken requests, I feel a slow-dance across Carbis Bay would have been the only icing that could have topped the cake.

We also witnessed the wonderful sight of world leaders protesting at the number of ‘takes’ for the ‘Family Photo’, muttering bleakly about it ‘being like a wedding’ while, probably, secretly air-punching and wondering how to sidle closer to Joe Biden without breaking social distancing rules. A Summit of significant dilemmas.

It was also fascinating to see the protests from Oxfam, Extinction Rebellion and others, all highly visual, made for news and impactful. The politicians aren’t the only ones competing for the picture editors’ attention.

While the Summit and its staged imagery and bonhomie is obviously easy to chuckle at, it does clearly serve a serious purpose. While the legacy of this event is arguably to be seen at COP26 and how well that goes in setting actions that have existential impact, it has sent a serious message to the world that the G7 is ‘back in business’: United despite national differences, and prepared to use diplomatic efforts to fight for democracy, the environment, free trade and solutions to The Pandemic, inequality and social and economic development.

The devil for how that is done is in detail that has yet to emerge but just two days after the summit closed we have news of a UK/Australia trade deal, the Biden/Putin Summit and ongoing diplomatic discussions around Brexit and Northern Ireland. None of this is new or started by G7 but the meeting of minds in Carbis Bay sets the tone and impetus for what’s to follow.

When looked at through the spectrum of its soft diplomacy, the G7 Summit does look like a success for most parties. Brexit didn’t dominate, yet while Boris scored a few hits the message remains that he’s being closely watched. Biden undoubtably showed that ‘America is back’ and that he’s fully engaged. All the leaders reinforced the message that Western democracy is a powerful force that has a global role to play, all landed the message that they will defend free-trade and democratic ideals.

Cornwall also looked great which is just as well because you won’t be going anywhere else on holiday for a while.