Keir Starmer has delivered a veiled swipe at Donald Trump by hailing ‘independent, sovereign’ Canada.
The PM gave his strongest response yet to the president’s push to turn Canada into a US state as he met counterpart Mark Carney in Ottawa.
Sir Keir and the former Bank of England governor enjoyed a beer in a bar and also talked up the prospect of reviving a stalled trade deal.
It is the first visit by a British premier to Canada in eight years and comes ahead of leaders – including Mr Trump – gathering for the G7 summit in Kananaskis.
Sir Keir has been walking a diplomatic tightrope between backing the Commonwealth state and avoiding enraging the US president.
The government is still desperately trying to finalise the details of a trade agreement with America to dodge punitive tariffs.
Asked by reporters en route to Ottawa whether he condemned Mr Trump’s remarks about Canada, the PM 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.
‘I’m not going to get into the precise conversations I’ve had, but let me be absolutely clear: Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth.
‘And we work closely with Canada on any number of issues, whether that is defence and security – particularly the training in Ukraine, it’s been something where Canada and the UK have worked very closely together.’
He added: ‘One of the things I want to do is to open the door to taking out further, reducing out trade barriers with Canada. So, I’m really clear where we stand on that.’
Mr Carney previously criticised the UK Government’s invitation for Mr Trump to make a second state visit, telling Sky News earlier this year that Canadians were ‘not impressed’ by the gesture.
Trade with Canada is worth about £28billion to the British economy, and both are members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Downing Street said Sir Keir would use his visit to Canada to argue that ‘in a shifting global economy, the UK must retain its proud status as a free and open trading nation – strengthening our existing alliances while reducing barriers to trade with other countries around the world’.
He is also expected to meet Mr Trump at the summit next week.