James Cleverly has been a superb Foreign Secretary

He does his work effectively, without fanfare. Sunak would do well to welcome a few more in his mould when he carries out the next reshuffle

The Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, has come under attack for supposedly being more focused on photo opportunities and visits to sun-soaked islands than pursuing the UK’s hard interests and imposing a clearer vision on his department. This is a bizarre line of thought. Modern public diplomacy requires of course some visual material to leaven what would otherwise be deadly dull photos of two delegations meeting each other across a conference table. But it’s an add-on, not the central purpose of the visit.

As for visiting sun-soaked islands, well, in nearly 40 countries Cleverly has visited since his appointment last autumn, inevitably a few have a sunnier climate than ours. But Qatar, Kuwait and Kyiv (twice) are not top of every sun-loving tourist’s pet destinations. He’s also made a point of visiting some relatively unvisited second rank countries whose support and trade we should welcome in the post-Brexit world.

The idea that he doesn’t pursue the UK’s hard interests or impose a clearer vision smacks of the confusion in some people’s minds of how foreign affairs work. Priorities and visions have their place but an obsession with them reflects a command economy with its long and inglorious pedigree. Nearly a 100 years ago, Stalin ordered his Foreign Affairs Commissar Maxim Litvinov to put forward a 5-year plan. Litvinov flatly refused, with commendable physical bravery. “We have to deal with a number of factors scarcely subject to calculation…elements outside our control.. countries pursuing other aims than ours.” Our interests are protected by managing or containing disputes.

Very rarely is it possible to deliver a quantifiable solution. How do we for example quantify whether Brexit has been a success or not? We should be sceptical about visions or models or “permanent” solutions. Think democracy in the Middle East, part of the neocons’ justification for the war in Iraq. Or indeed the war on terror. There is a Spanish poem which puts it well. “Traveller, there are no roads. Roads are made by walking”. A foreign secretary needs to keep flexible and innovative. Fixed visions often need to be displaced at short notice in foreign affairs or added to with few or no additional resources.

At a more domestic level, Cleverly inherited a department which had endured a bruising experience under his immediate predecessors and whose morale was at rock bottom. His leadership approach has been one of listening to advice then taking decisions based on that advice and sound common sense rather than adjusting the decisions to fit a previously conceived vision. He clearly loves the job – and has said as much – and makes it clear that he respects his officials who not surprisingly react well and are better motivated.

Among other foreign ministers, he inspires trust, a commodity in short supply under the previous regime. While he doesn’t claim exaggerated credit for successes nor produce dramatic sound bites, there have been no gaffes, a relief after Boris Johnson’s recital of Kipling’s “The Road to Mandalay” in a sacred Buddhist site in Myanmar. In fact, over the negotiation of the Windsor Framework, he played a useful if not leading role, trading on the good relations he had built up in the EU. Only the most warped Brexiteers would regard this as a negative.

The enforced FCO/DFID (now FCDO) merger – more shotgun than carefully planned and executed – has been well-handled by the current Foreign Secretary who works pragmatically and constructively with Andrew Mitchell, the Development Minister within the FCDO.

It’s hard to know what the disloyal people who briefed against him dislike. He can’t be accused of being “on manoeuvres” for the top job. He does his work effectively, without fanfare, and runs a happy and motivated department. Rishi Sunak should welcome a few more in the Cleverly mould when he carries out his anticipated reshuffle.

Sir Ivor Roberts is a former British ambassador to Yugoslavia, Ireland and Italy