The foreign secretary was supposed to be shooting from the hip, but even one mild criticism of Trump was beyond him

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If the foreign secretary makes a speech to the G20 in South Africa and someone forgot to switch on the televised stream, did it really happen?

This was meant to be David Lammy’s big day out. His Foreign Office team had briefed in advance that this was to be his most forceful intervention on Ukraine yet. No more Mr Nice Guy. No more couching his words in the language of twisted diplomacy. Just shooting from the hip. Telling it as it is. Leaving every other foreign minister at the summit in Johannesburg gasping for breath.