Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has criticised Keir Starmer’s decision to grant Donald Trump a second state visit to the UK.
Starmer handed Trump an official invitation from King Charles during a White House visit in February. The Labour leader hailed Trump’s first state visit six years ago as a “tremendous success” and promised the next one would be “unprecedented” and “truly historic.”
The gesture was widely seen as an attempt by the Labour government to strengthen ties with the US amid trade negotiations. The strategy seemed to pay off, with a deal finally signed last week, saving thousands of UK automotive jobs.
🤨 ‘Not the Right Message’
But Carney, speaking to Sky News, made it clear the decision hasn’t gone down well north of the border. He said: “I’ll be frank, they [Canadians] weren’t impressed by that gesture… given the circumstance. It was at a time when we were being quite clear about the issues around sovereignty.
“I was not yet prime minister, but I was being clear on the campaign trail, and it cut across some of those messages.”
The comment refers to Trump’s past threats to annex Canada and make it America’s 51st state – a point of tension that clearly hasn’t been forgotten.
🤝 UK Government Stands Firm
Despite the backlash, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden defended the decision this morning, downplaying the significance of Carney’s comments.
Speaking to Sky News, he said: “We’re very pleased that there’s going to be a second state visit from President Trump. Every country has to decide how it conducts its own relations with other countries.
“For us, the United States relationship is really important. We’ve conducted a very good deal with the United States just last week which has saved thousands of jobs in the UK automotive industry.
“We want a positive relationship with the United States, to sell them great products. Every country has to choose its own path, but our relationship with Canada is really important too.”
Looks like this diplomatic spat isn’t over just yet.
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