0:00
Something we haven't talked about so far this week is a clear win for Britain and for Keir Starmer
0:05
He might have dropped it on the tarmac during the G7 summit in Canada, but President Trump has signed a UK-US trade deal which spared us from the worst of the threatened tariffs on, above all, cars
0:16
They cut the tariffs from those from 27.5% for the first 100,000 vehicles shipped to the US to just 10%
0:22
And that is a lifesaver for British companies such as Jaguar Land Rover
0:27
The G7 was kind of fascinating anthropology for politics watchers, I have to say
0:31
hosted by Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, who won power partly by fiercely pushing back against Trump
0:37
when he suggested Canada should become part of the US. They seem to get along all right now, but how is the presidency viewed from Canada now
0:44
Let's talk to the Canadian High Commissioner in London, Ralph Goodale. Ralph, thank you very much indeed
0:50
Did I call you Ambassador or High Commissioner? High Commissioner, I'll call you. High Commissioner, it's effectively the same thing
0:57
Same thing. OK, well, I'll call you High Commissioner. This was a big moment for your Prime Minister, for Mark Carney
1:03
And we were all watching very carefully. It seemed to some people that President Trump was still uneasy around Mr. Carney
1:10
And he did indeed leave early from the summit. We still don't quite know why. What's your assessment
1:16
Well, it's important that all of the G7 leaders were there today
1:22
because, or yesterday rather, the first day, because that when the G7 leaders themselves were meeting including a very important discussion last night on the geopolitical crises multiple crises that are being faced around the world
1:44
Today is a larger focus on other leaders from around the world that are joining in the conversation
1:51
Still very important. unfortunate that that president trump was not able to stay but obviously there are other issues
2:00
that are dominating the white house today and he's in washington dealing with them still i think
2:06
altogether for the for the two days of of the work in kananaskis it will prove to be a very
2:13
successful encounter and all that insulting talk about the 51st state and governor carnegie has that
2:21
gone away for good, do you think? Well, it still seems to pop up every now and then
2:30
less so now than previously. I think it's clear that the Prime Minister Carney is developing
2:38
a working relationship with President Trump and the United States. From the beginning
2:47
we've had three very solid objectives. Number one, absolutely unequivocally defending Canadian sovereignty
2:57
and we've made that abundantly clear. Secondly creating a new security and economic relationship with the United States because the old one is clearly over the one that has dominated the scene for the 80 years since the Second World War
3:15
That has fundamentally changed, and we need to find something to replace it
3:21
It has to be effective, but it will not be the same as it was before the last number of months
3:29
And then thirdly, we're building out the Canadian economy. So on its own, it will be stronger and bigger and less vulnerable and more resilient in the face of whatever any foreign power might try to do to damage that economy
3:50
We will stand on our own two feet and very effectively so
3:53
And on all three of those fronts, Mr. Carney has obviously made tangible progress
3:59
There was more progress in the relationship at the beginning of the meetings in Kananaskis
4:06
where there was a direct bilateral between President Trump and Mr. Carney
4:11
And of course, Britain is always dancing a delicate dance at this moment with President Trump
4:16
a slightly strange thing to say, but you know what I mean. in terms of Trump saying, you know, he has this fantastically strong relationship with Keir Starmer
4:25
very, very fond of Keir Starmer, good working relationship, loves Britain. And yet at the same time, we have to stand alongside you
4:32
And it was interesting that the king visit recently that he was you know he clearly enjoyed that He clearly feels very strongly about being king of Canada How important was that inside Canada On objective number one standing up defending articulating our sovereignty
4:53
the visit by His Majesty was very important. And of course, when His Majesty is in Canada, he is not the envoy of a foreign country
5:03
He is the king of Canada. So the head of state in Canada performing the central constitutional function of opening a democratically elected parliament, which has the sovereign authority over all Canadian affairs
5:21
It was symbolically very important. The throne speech itself was fundamentally important because it laid out that agenda for building out the Canadian economy
5:35
for eliminating internal trade barriers, accelerating our regulatory process for big project approvals
5:43
investments in infrastructure and science and technology and innovation, diversifying our trade around the world as well as within the country
5:55
All of those things in the speech articulated by His Majesty. And of course, he delivered the punchline with great effect, quoting the Canadian national anthem, the true north, strong and free
6:08
The true north, strong and free. Hi, Commissioner. Thank you very much for talking to LBC
6:13
I always enjoy our conversations
