Ed Davey’s comments come after the PM angered Canadians by refusing to answer questions on Trump’s stance on Canada
Good morning. Keir Starmer and his government have got a busy week in domestic politics; today the crime and policing bill gets its second reading, tomorrow the planning and infrastructure bill is due to be published (there is a related announcement out now about energy bill discounts for people living near new pylons) and on Thursday the PM is due to give a speech about Whitehall reform. But the Trump/Ukraine crisis overshadows everything.
Last night Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, was elected leader of the Liberal party in Canada, which means he will become prime minister. Canadian election results don’t often take centre stage in UK politics, but Carney was elected promising fierce opposition to President Trump’s talk of annexing Canada and in London Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, is urging Starmer to fly to Ottawa this week “to stand in solidarity with the country’s new prime minister in response to Trump’s threats against Canada”. In a statement Davey said:
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.
The Liberal Democrats have a long history of calling for things that have no chance of ever happening (normally the recall of parliament – something they normally press release in the first week of August), and Davey won’t be expecting Starmer to take his advice. But he has touched a nerve. Starmer angered Canadians during his press conference with Trump in the White House last month by refusing to answer a question about Trump’s stance on Canada, claiming the journalist who asked about it was “trying to find “a divide between us that does not exist”. And, with King Charles attending a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey this afternoon, there will be close interest in whether he says anything that might be seen as a comment about Trump’s plan to seize the country where he is head of state. As Sam Blewett writes in his London Playbook briefing for Politico:
Trump allies will be vigilant for any coded message Charles sends, following the warm reception he gave Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Sandringham shortly after the Ukrainian was ambushed by the president and JD Vance in the Oval Office. The king’s move struck a chord in the administration, with a US government official telling Playbook “people definitely saw it.” All eyes on whether Charles dons a maple leaf tie.
This is also the latest example of the Lib Dems’ attempts to capitalise on Starmer’s (understandable) reluctance to say anything openly critical of Trump. Last week Davey twice challenged Starmer in the Commons to accept that the US under Trump is now an unreliable ally on matters relating to the Russia. Starmer disagreed. For a PM negotiating with Washington, that was probably the right thing to say. But it is probably not the right thing to think.
Here is the agenda for the day.
10.30am: Relatives of the Tory MP David Amess, who are demanding a judge-led public inquiry into his murder and the dealings his killer had with Prevent, hold a press conference before a meeting with Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper, the home secretary.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
1pm: Robert Hayward, a polling expert and Tory peer, gives a briefing on the May local elections.
2.30pm: Bridget Phillipson, education secretary, takes questions in the Commons.
Afternoon: Michael Gove, the former Tory Cabinet Office minister, gives evidence to the Covid inquiry as part of its PPE procurement module.
3pm: Keir Starmer and other political leaders will join King Charles at Westminster Abbey for a service to mark Commonwealth Day.
After 3.30pm: Yvette Cooper, home secretary, opens the debate on the second reading of the crime and policing bill.
Also, at some point today, Angela Rayner, the deputy PM, and Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, are doing a visit related to the planning and infrastructure bill, which is due to be published tomorrow.
If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line or message me on social media. I can’t read all the messages BTL, but if you put “Andrew” in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.
If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.
I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.
Keir Starmer has posted a message on social media congratulating Mark Carney on the fact that he will become Canada’s next PM. But he is not promising a solidarity flight to Ottawa within the next week. (See 9.28am.) He says:
Congratulations to @MarkJCarney on his appointment as Canada’s new Prime Minister.
I look forward to working closely with him on shared international priorities, including in the G7, and to further deepening the UK-Canada relationship together.
My best wishes to @JustinTrudeau as he steps down from the role. I wish him well in his future endeavours.
Good morning. Keir Starmer and his government have got a busy week in domestic politics; today the crime and policing bill gets its second reading, tomorrow the planning and infrastructure bill is due to be published (there is a related announcement out now about energy bill discounts for people living near new pylons) and on Thursday the PM is due to give a speech about Whitehall reform. But the Trump/Ukraine crisis overshadows everything.
Last night Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of England, was elected leader of the Liberal party in Canada, which means he will become prime minister. Canadian election results don’t often take centre stage in UK politics, but Carney was elected promising fierce opposition to President Trump’s talk of annexing Canada and in London Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, is urging Starmer to fly to Ottawa this week “to stand in solidarity with the country’s new prime minister in response to Trump’s threats against Canada”. In a statement Davey said:
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.
The Liberal Democrats have a long history of calling for things that have no chance of ever happening (normally the recall of parliament – something they normally press release in the first week of August), and Davey won’t be expecting Starmer to take his advice. But he has touched a nerve. Starmer angered Canadians during his press conference with Trump in the White House last month by refusing to answer a question about Trump’s stance on Canada, claiming the journalist who asked about it was “trying to find “a divide between us that does not exist”. And, with King Charles attending a Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey this afternoon, there will be close interest in whether he says anything that might be seen as a comment about Trump’s plan to seize the country where he is head of state. As Sam Blewett writes in his London Playbook briefing for Politico:
Trump allies will be vigilant for any coded message Charles sends, following the warm reception he gave Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Sandringham shortly after the Ukrainian was ambushed by the president and JD Vance in the Oval Office. The king’s move struck a chord in the administration, with a US government official telling Playbook “people definitely saw it.” All eyes on whether Charles dons a maple leaf tie.
This is also the latest example of the Lib Dems’ attempts to capitalise on Starmer’s (understandable) reluctance to say anything openly critical of Trump. Last week Davey twice challenged Starmer in the Commons to accept that the US under Trump is now an unreliable ally on matters relating to the Russia. Starmer disagreed. For a PM negotiating with Washington, that was probably the right thing to say. But it is probably not the right thing to think.
Here is the agenda for the day.
10.30am: Relatives of the Tory MP David Amess, who are demanding a judge-led public inquiry into his murder and the dealings his killer had with Prevent, hold a press conference before a meeting with Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper, the home secretary.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
1pm: Robert Hayward, a polling expert and Tory peer, gives a briefing on the May local elections.
2.30pm: Bridget Phillipson, education secretary, takes questions in the Commons.
Afternoon: Michael Gove, the former Tory Cabinet Office minister, gives evidence to the Covid inquiry as part of its PPE procurement module.
3pm: Keir Starmer and other political leaders will join King Charles at Westminster Abbey for a service to mark Commonwealth Day.
After 3.30pm: Yvette Cooper, home secretary, opens the debate on the second reading of the crime and policing bill.
Also, at some point today, Angela Rayner, the deputy PM, and Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, are doing a visit related to the planning and infrastructure bill, which is due to be published tomorrow.
If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line or message me on social media. I can’t read all the messages BTL, but if you put “Andrew” in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.
If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.
I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.
