Ed Davey was the first UK politician to react as Mark Carney declared victory in the Canadian election, beating Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives in a remarkable electoral turnaround.
The Liberal Democrat leader celebrated Carney’s victory as a triumph over “Trump’s dangerous populism” and urged voters in the UK to likewise take a stand against “hate-fuelled politics”.
Carney, who served as governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020, said Donald Trump was trying to “break” Canada in his speech to supporters upon declaring victory.
“President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us, that will never ever happen”, he told the crowd.
The president of the United States and his enduring threats to Canadian sovereignty were the election’s foremost themes.
At present, it remains too close to call whether the Liberal party has secured a majority in parliament or whether Carney will have to form a coalition.
Carney’s victory represents a historic comeback for his Liberal party, which had looked set for electoral wipeout until Justin Trudeau, the former prime minister, stepped down.
Commenting on the victory of the Liberal Democrats’ Canadian sister party, Davey said: “My warmest congratulations to Mark Carney.
“Voters in Canada have elected a Liberal government on a clear mandate to combat Trump’s dangerous populism. Across the globe, it is liberals who are taking the lead in standing up for prosperity, security and democracy in the face of Trump, Putin and the rest.
“Voters in England have the chance to send a similar message on Thursday, by electing Liberal Democrat local champions to stand up for their communities against the hate-fuelled politics of Donald Trump and his bootlicker Nigel Farage.”
Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, said he looked forward to “strengthening” ties with Canada in the wake of Carney’s election victory.
In a statement, Starmer congratulated his Canadian counterpart and noted his “personal ties to the UK”.
He said: “Congratulations to Mark Carney on your election victory. The UK and Canada are the closest of allies, partners and friends. With your leadership, and personal ties to the UK, I know the relationship between our two countries will continue to grow.
“Our partnership is based on shared history and values, with a shared sovereign, and I look forward to strengthening our ties following our successful meeting in Downing Street last month.
“We will work together to deepen our economic relationship to deliver security for hardworking people in the UK and Canada — which we were both elected to do.
“I welcome your leadership on international issues, and I know we will continue to work closely on defence, security, trade and investment as we look ahead to the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis in June.”
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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