Boris and Carrie swelter in Cornwall as they greet more G7 guests

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The Red Arrows performed a breathtaking fly-past during the G7 summit in Cornwall this evening in a bid to woo high-powered G7 guests ahead of a beach barbecue.

The fleet of aircraft – known officially as the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team – lit up the sky with patriotic red, white and blue as the dignitaries no-doubt watched on in Carbis Bay. The team already performed a flypast for the Queen’s official birthday celebrations earlier today.

This evening, high-powered guests will be treated to a beach barbecue featuring locally-sourced seafood prepared by a nearby beach hut.

Earlier today, Boris and Carrie Johnson sweltered in the Cornwall sunshine as they welcomed more guests – before the PM posed for another ‘family photo’ with the newly arrived dignitaries.

The PM and his new wife donned smart business suits despite the soaring temperature as they welcomed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa and South Korean premier Moon Jae-in.

The countries are attending the gathering as guests at the invitation of the UK, and will join the Saturday night festivities.

But Mr Johnson might be hoping he can change out of his suit and tie before the party kicks off, while Carrie is also likely to switch her vivid blue trouser suit for more relaxed attire. 

Any jokes with Emmanuel Macron about sausages at the barbecue could also be a dangerous move – as the UK and EU leaders are engaged in a bitter row over Brexit restrictions on chilled meat exports from the British mainland to Northern Ireland. 

Earlier, Mr Johnson demanded the EU ‘gets it into their heads’ that Northern Ireland is part of the UK – as he branded the bloc’s approach to the Brexit rules ‘theological’ in a round of broadcast interviews after holding talks with Mr Macron, Angela Merkel and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen. 

Tonight’s much-anticipated barbecue comes as the UK recorded a further 7,738 new Covid-19 cases – the fourth day in a row that cases have exceeded the 7,000 mark.

Today’s daily figure is an increase of 34.2 per cent on last Saturday’s 5,765 – and is the second highest daily infections number since February 26 after they exceeded 8,000 yesterday.

The surge in cases caused by the Indian variant has yet to be reflected in death figures, which remained low today, falling from 13 last week to 12.

Meanwhile, Mrs Johnson has been busy entertaining the leaders’ spouses as the main sessions take place at the venue in Carbis Bay.

She donned a sculpted, slim fitting £595 jacket and £395 flared trousers, both by Amanda Wakeley. Both are currently listed on My Wardrobe HQ, the clothing rental site which Carrie used to hire her Christos Costarellos wedding dress, priced at £80 apiece. 

The group including Jill Biden and Brigitte Macron were taken to the impressive Minack theatre, where they watched a performance of Ocean World – in keeping with the environmentally friendly theme of the summit.

A chef running a Cornish beach shack has been chosen to woo world leaders with a traditional British barbecue and Joe Biden and leaders others will bond around camp fires toasting marshmallows and listening to sea shanties.

However, there will be no sausages in sight as the UK and EU clash over Northern Ireland trade rules. 

Simon Stallard, who runs The Hidden Hut on the Roseland Peninsula with his wife Jemma Glass, will serve G7 dignitaries Curgurrell crab claws, Portscatho mackerel and Newlyn lobster on Saturday night. 

After ‘smokey’ steaks seared on the 50ft grill and an ice cream sundae washed down with Cornish sparkling wine and beers, the most powerful men and women on the planet will huddle around camp fires.

The politicians will be served hot buttered rum to drink and toasted marshmallows on the beach at Carbis Bay near St Ives to help thrash out a plan for a post-pandemic world.

Du Hag Owr, Cornish for ‘black and gold’, will be singing shanties for guests and will end the show with a rousing rendition of Cornish anthem Cornwall My Home. 

The Hidden Hut above Portscatho beach may have a humble name but it has become one of the most loved places to eat in southern Cornwall.

Chef Stallard and his wife are famed for their ‘feast nights’ of barbecued food he describes as ‘like a big family picnic’ where guests are served quality local produce on large tables on the sand – as long as they bring their own plates, cutlery and drinks.

The G7 leaders will be provided with the tableware on Saturday night, he said, adding: ‘I’m not sure I could have got away with asking them to do their own washing-up this time round’.

He admitted the G7 booking ‘came as a surprise’, adding: ‘But it’s so beautiful in the bay, and I think if you’re on the beach you want to make the most of it.’

On arrival Mr Biden, Mr Johnson, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel will be served canapes including: ‘sparkling scallops’, Curgurrell crab claws and Portscatho mackerel.

 

For their main they will be offered  ‘seared and smokey’ Moorland sirloin and Newlyn lobster and scorched leeks all served with sides of layered Cornish potato chips with St Just purple sprouting broccoli and salt-baked beetroot on the side.

The pudding is a ‘Beach Hut Sundae’ – and afterwards the leaders will also be able to have baked brie, hot buttered rum and toasted marshmallows around fire pits on the beach. 

Should the leaders wish to toast a successful summit – or drown their sorrows – they will be offered Cornish sparkling wine, German Riesling, Australian Shiraz, Cornish beer and a hedgerow fizz cocktail.

Earlier, Mr Johnson demanded the EU ‘gets it into their heads’ that Northern Ireland is part of the UK as he ramped up the ‘sausage war’ after a showdown with Mr Macron. 

The PM branded the bloc’s approach to the Brexit rules ‘theological’ in a round of broadcast interviews after holding talks with Mr Macron, Angela Merkel and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen at the G7 summit in Cornwall. 

And he insisted he ‘will not hesitate’ to suspend the Northern Ireland protocol unilaterally if Brussels does not compromise over trade restrictions between mainland Britain and the province. 

‘I think if the protocol continues to be applied in this way, then we will obviously not hesitate to invoke Article 16, as i have said before,’ he said. 

‘Don’t forget, the EU themselves invoked Article 16 in January, to disapply the protocol, so they can stop removal of vaccines from the EU to the UK.

‘I’ve talked to some of our friends here today, who do seem to misunderstand that the UK is a single country, a single territory. I just need to get that into their heads.’

Ministers have made clear they will not allow British traders to be hit with a complete ban on sausage exports to Northern Ireland when a ‘grace period’ on the Brexit deal expires at the end of this month. 

But French diplomats say Mr Macron used the pair’s meeting this morning to insist that relations can only improve if the premier ‘keeps his word’ on the terms he agreed. He has already vowed to veto any fundamental renegotiation of the protocol, saying the idea is ‘not serious’.  

Downing Street has stressed that the PM is ‘currently’ committed to working through the protocol, but added: ‘We keep all options on the table.’  

Mr Johnson prepared for the showdown with EU counterparts by going for a swim near the luxurious hotel where the summit is happening.  

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: ‘They can be more pragmatic about the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol in a way that is win-win or they can be bloody-minded and purist about it in which case I am afraid we will not allow the integrity of the UK to be threatened.’