Keir Starmer has been urged to visit the new Canadian prime minister as a show of solidarity against Donald Trump’s threats towards the Commonwealth country. It was announced on Sunday evening that Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, will be the new Canadian prime minister after he won the Liberal Party... Read more » The post Show solidarity with new Canadian PM amid Trump ‘bullying’, Starmer urged appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
Keir Starmer has been urged to visit the new Canadian prime minister as a show of solidarity against Donald Trump’s threats towards the Commonwealth country.
It was announced on Sunday evening that Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, will be the new Canadian prime minister after he won the Liberal Party leadership contest.
Carney, who also used to head up Canada’s central bank, won 85.9 per cent of vote cast by 150,000 members in a landslide victory.
Carney’s tenure begins as Trump, the US president, steps up his threats against Canada, which he has vowed to make America’s “51st state”. Trump repeatedly referred to Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau, as the “governor” of Canada.
In his victory speech, Carney hit out at Trump for “attacking Canadian families” and wanting to “destroy the Canadian way of life”.
He described the US president’s tariffs and threats as the “greatest crisis of our lifetime”.
“There is someone who is trying to weaken our economy. Donald Trump. Donald Trump has put unjustified tariffs on what we build, sell and how we make a living”, Carney said.
After the US last week levied sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods, Canada retaliated with its own 25 per cent tariffs on up to $155 billion in US goods over the course of this month.
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Starmer, the UK prime minister, has now been urged to show solidarity with Carney and Canada by making a visit to the Commonwealth country this week.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has said it is vital for both British and Canadian security that the Commonwealth allies “stand strong together”.
In comments overnight, he urged Starmer to show a “united front” against Donald Trump’s “senseless” threats against Canada’s sovereignty and economy.
Davey said: “I would like to express my warmest congratulations to the new leader of Canada, Mark Carney. We treasure Canada’s historic relationship with the UK and I look forward to our two nations’ ties becoming ever stronger during your premiership.
“It’s vital for both British and Canadian security that we stand strong together. With global instability rising, it’s never been more important to show a united front with our Commonwealth friends — and to stand together against Trump senselessly turning the screws on his allies, whether that’s Canada, the UK or Europe.
“Responding to the trade war along the North American border, our prime minister must stand in solidarity against Trump’s bullying and visit Ottawa in a joint show of strength. Starmer must be clear that Trump’s threats against Commonwealth nations’ sovereignty are unacceptable.”
In a session of prime minister’s questions last month, Starmer was urged to call out Trump’s “childish nonsense” over Canada ahead of their meeting in Washington DC.
Conservative MP Simon Hoare said that when the PM meets the US president, whom he referred to as the “former leader of the free world”, he does so “with the hopes and prayers of this House and the country.”
Hoare added: “Whilst Ukraine will clearly dominate, will the prime minister undertake to raise with president Trump that Canada is a valued, respected and much-loved member of both NATO and our Commonwealth?
“This childish nonsense of a 51st State should be called out by the prime minister for what it is.”
Starmer responded: “The UK and Canada are close allies and have been for a very long time, with a partnership based on a shared history and a shared set of values and a determination to be an active force for good in the world.
“We work closely with them on issues of the Commonwealth on NATO, and of course Five Eyes intelligence-sharing. And we will work to strengthen that relationship.”
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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Conservative MP urges Starmer to address Trump’s ‘childish nonsense’ over Canada
The post Show solidarity with new Canadian PM amid Trump ‘bullying’, Starmer urged appeared first on Politics.co.uk.
