Canada is sovereign, says Starmer in rebuke to Trump
Sir Keir Starmer has described Canada as an 'independent, sovereign nation' ahead of his trip there in a clear rebuke of Donald Trump.
Sir Keir will become the first British prime minister to visit Canada in eight years as he travels first to Ottawa and then to Kananaskis for the summit of the G7 group of nations.
Mr Trump, the US president, has repeatedly talked about making Canada the 51st state of America, insisting his interest is not a joke. It has forced Mark Carney, Canada's new prime minister, to hit back, leading to a deterioration in relations.
Sir Keir's decision to meet Mr Carney for talks in Ottawa before the summit is a clear show of support.
It comes a fortnight after the King opened the Canadian parliament and talked about the country remaining 'strong and free' in what was interpreted as a message of support.
Mr Carney, who was Bank of England governor between 2013 and 2020, is hosting Sir Keir for a private dinner on Saturday evening and then formal talks on Sunday morning.
Sir Keir said: 'Canada and the US are our allies. Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and quite right, too. And that's the basis on which I've approached my discussions with all of our partners.
'Let me be absolutely clear: Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth.'
The Prime Minister also said he would be discussing deepening free trade with Canada, saying: 'The interests of British citizens – delivering for working people – is what guides me throughout all my conversations with international leaders.
'And everywhere I go, from the factory floor at Jaguar Land Rover to meeting submariners aboard a nuclear-powered submarine, I'm reminded of why that is the right approach.
'Because the decisions we make in government, whether at home or abroad, have profound impacts on the day-to-day lives of working people.
'And in these dangerous times, I am determined to forge a unique path to secure and renew Britain in an era of global instability.'
Trade between the UK and Canada, both members of the G7 and the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, is worth £28 billion a year to the UK economy.
Talks on a formal UK-Canada trade deal were halted in January 2024 after almost two years of negotiations with both sides at odds over how to treat beef and cheese imports.
That decision was taken when the Conservatives were in power and Kemi Badenoch, the current Tory leader, was in charge of trade talks as business secretary.
There was no indication from Downing Street before the discussions that Sir Keir would urge Mr Carney to restart these negotiations, though it remains a possibility.
Instead, a No 10 spokesman indicated that Sir Keir would talk about deepening the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), of which both the UK and Canada are members.
The tone of trade engagement is a marked contrast to Mr Trump, who has hit the US neighbour with tariffs and declared back in March, 'the only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished fifty-first state'.
King Charles said during a trip to Canada last month that Canadians can 'give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away'.
His Majesty also said, in reference to the Canadian national anthem, that 'the True North is indeed strong and free'.
After the discussions in Ottawa, Sir Keir will travel west to Kananaskis. There, he and Mr Carney will be joined by the leaders of the US, Japan, Germany, France and Italy.
The escalating situation in the Middle East is now expected to dominate the summit, with the conflict in Ukraine and challenges to the global economy also featuring in talks.
Details of which other G7 leaders Sir Keir will sit down with for one-on-one bilateral meetings are yet to be confirmed by Downing Street.
There is an expectation that Sir Keir will try to see Mr Trump. The Prime Minister has put in a significant investment in building a constructive relationship with the US president.
The Trump administration recently threw the Australia-US-UK submarine deal – known by its acronym Aukus – into doubt by announcing the Pentagon would be reviewing it.
The deal was unveiled by Joe Biden, the Democratic president who preceded Mr Trump in the White House. It includes joint work building nuclear-powered submarines and is seen as an attempt to better counter China in the Indo-Pacific.
The annual G7 summit will take place on Monday and Tuesday. It will be the first one attended by Friedrich Merz, the new German chancellor.
A No 10 spokesman said: 'The trip marks the Prime Minister's determination to use his international agenda to deliver for people at home, arguing that in these dangerous times we can carve a unique path to secure and renew Britain in an era of global instability.'
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