Strawberry foliage; why?

I think it’s a convenience thing. Easier to cut off all the runners, leaves and fruiting stalks in one go and make clearing the bed of weeds easier. I’ve heard people mention getting rid of diseased leaves, but the plant will still be infected, so it doesn’t cure that.

Probably doesn’t do them much harm though and probably worth it for the saving in effort.

You only need to trim the leaves from summer-fruiting varieties. Do this when the plants have finished cropping  and cut off the old leaves 3 or 4in above the crown, fresh leaves will then grow ready for next year.

Autumn fruiting plants can just have a tidy up at the end of their fruiting season.

Funnily enough I saw a video yesterday showing exactly this method and the person said it encourages the plant to grow more fruit for the following season!

I believe it does