No 10 has activated the Cobra mechanism. Not for floods or terror. For a heatwave. 2,000 dead in France. Bodies piling up in Paris morgues. The French health minister is in Brussels, begging for help.
Britain answered first. That matters.
Downing Street sources tell me the PM saw the polling data. Softening. A crisis abroad that can be turned into leadership at home. And it worked. The French ambassador called it an 'extraordinary gesture of solidarity.' The German chancellor offered condolences. Not ambulances.
Here is the inside story. A hastily arranged call on Tuesday night, 11pm. The PM on the line with President Macron. The French were overwhelmed. Morgues at capacity. Hospitals running out of ice. The military called in to distribute water. But it was not enough.
A decision was made. The UK would send medical teams. 150 personnel from the NHS, seconded to a field hospital in Lyon. Three Chinooks, repurposed for cooling stations. And a fleet of refrigerated lorries to store the dead. The Treasury signed off without a murmur. That never happens.
The Labour frontbench tried to praise the move. But they were cut off. The PM's team briefed that this was 'global Britain in action.' A deliberate echo of the Brexit era. The message to nervous Tory backbenchers: we are leading Europe, not leaving it.
The polling bounce was immediate. YouGov put the Tories up 2 points in 24 hours. Focus groups in the red wall showed voters approving 'Britain taking charge.' The word 'strong' came up repeatedly. That will worry Labour strategists.
But there is a risk. The French heatwave is not over. Temperatures expected to hit 45 degrees in the south today. The death toll could double. Morgues are already at 150% capacity. The UK teams are stretched. One NHS medic told me they had not slept in 36 hours.
And the French opposition is circling. Marine Le Pen's allies are asking why French taxpayers are not being prioritised. They smell a political opportunity. President Macron's approval rating has dropped 5 points in a week. He needs this to work.
Inside the Cabinet, there is unease. The Defence Secretary worried about stretching resources. The Home Secretary cited potential security risks. Both were overruled. The PM was adamant. 'We will be the ones who helped.' That is the quote from a No 10 aide.
The irony is thick. Britain is leading emergency responses in Europe while still arguing with Brussels over fishing licenses. But for now, the politics align. The PM looks decisive. The French are grateful. And the heatwave has become a stage for leadership.
One Conservative MP told me: 'This is what we voted for. Not isolation. Leadership.' That is the line the PM will repeat at PMQs today. Expect Labour to applaud. They cannot do otherwise.
But the real test comes next week. If the death toll rises, the blame will start to spread. The UK will be accused of grandstanding. The French will ask why more was not done. The polls will flip again.
For now, though, the narrative is set. Britain led. Europe followed. And 2,000 dead in France is a tragedy that a PM can use to look prime ministerial. That is the game. That is Whitehall.
