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A British politician is showing his support for Canada — not only by speaking up in the House of Commons, but also by enjoying a Canadian dish — amid growing tension between the Commonwealth country and the United States.
At a House of Commons meeting on Wednesday, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey asked U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer if he would stand up to American President Donald Trump about tariffs and if he would reinforce solidarity with Canada.
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Davey’s questions were posed after Trump implemented global tariffs on steel and aluminium, and previously made repeated comments about Canada becoming the 51st state. Before diving in, Davey congratulated the prime minister on “helping to secure the restoration of U.S. military and intelligence support for Ukraine.”
“But can I press (Starmer) on progress to sway President Trump against damaging metal tariffs already hitting British industry? The Prime Minister knows that we on these benches believe we must be more robust with President Trump, like the Europeans and like the Canadians,” said Davey.
He continued: “Will the prime minster fly out to Canada as soon as possible to show their new prime minister and the Canadian people that Britain stands with its Commonwealth allies against Trump’s threats and against Trump’s tariffs?”
Starmer only touched on Canada for a moment.
“Canada is an ally and a very important ally, too. I’ve spoken to our allies on many occasions about the situation in Canada,” he said.
Then, switching gears, Starmer said he was “disappointed to see global tariffs in relation to steel and aluminum.” However, he added that Britain would take a “pragmatic approach” and negotiations for a deal were underway.
Davey’s support for Canada was not limited to the House of Commons.
Also on Wednesday, the Liberal Democrat leader attended an event at a Canadian-themed pub in London called The Maple Leaf. He posted photos on X with his head popping out from curtains with a giant red maple leaf design. Another photo shows Davey with Canadian-inspired foods in front of him, including poutine, a traditionally Quebecois dish.
“Strengthening U.K.-Canada relations, one plate of poutine at a time,” he wrote in the post.
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In the photo, behind Davey, a maple leaf, flags with Canadian locations like Wasaga Beach, Prince Edward Island and Regina, and pictures of hockey players are mounted on the wall.
This show of support comes as Trump has mentioned on multiple occasions his intention to take over Canada, which could be seen as a threat to the U.K. Canada has been part of the modern Commonwealth since its establishment in 1949 with King Charles III as its head.
At a press conference at the White House last month, the issue was brought up to Starmer. He was asked if King Charles was concerned with Trump’s “apparent desire to remove one of (the King’s) realms from his control.”
Starmer kept his answer diplomatic.
“You mentioned Canada. I think you’re trying to find a divide between (the U.K. and the U.S.) that doesn’t exist,” he said.
Outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Starmer and King Charles, respectively, in March.
Trudeau posted on X that he and King Charles “spoke about matters of importance to Canadians — including, above all, Canada’s sovereign and independent future.” A news release from the office of the prime minister said that Trudeau and Starmer “highlighted the close relationship between Canada and the United Kingdom, founded on deep historical links, common values, and strong economic relations.”
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