Best Of

A selection of views from Canada about Starmer:

https://x.com/susandelacourt/status/1895222310791192656

Ahem, Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer. That was a very good question on Canada and Trump's threats to this country, and with all respect, you blew the answer and threw us under the bus. Not feeling all that Commonwealthy right now.

https://x.com/levittmichael/status/1895286961600110970

Watching Keir Starmer’s groveling performance at the White House today was infuriating. At a time when Canada needed real support, he threw us under the bus without hesitation. An absolute disgrace!!

https://x.com/stphnmaher/status/1895286326246940890

I had kind of liked him. Now I suddenly despise him.

I did watch the press conference and thought that was the most shameful answer.

He could have just not answered the question and said 'We have a very strong relationship with Canada and continue to work closely with both them and our European friends" or something and not thrown them under the bus.

I am in agreement with you, @Casino_Royale and @williamglenn.

Your answer is the correct one.

A selection of views from Canada about Starmer:

https://x.com/susandelacourt/status/1895222310791192656

Ahem, Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer. That was a very good question on Canada and Trump's threats to this country, and with all respect, you blew the answer and threw us under the bus. Not feeling all that Commonwealthy right now.

https://x.com/levittmichael/status/1895286961600110970

Watching Keir Starmer’s groveling performance at the White House today was infuriating. At a time when Canada needed real support, he threw us under the bus without hesitation. An absolute disgrace!!

https://x.com/stphnmaher/status/1895286326246940890

I had kind of liked him. Now I suddenly despise him.

We should be backing Canada. 100%.

There was silence on here when Trump was attacking Canada previously. It's only when Starmer fails to defend them that it's suddenly an issue.

That's simply not true.

Awkward, and it shows the political perils for Starmer. People who have been whipped up into a state of frenzy over Boris, Trump and Brexit will not suddenly start taking a sober view of the national interest. I expect the Lib Dems to gain at the expense of Labour.

https://x.com/keir_starmer/status/1134833523959971840

An endorsement from Donald Trump tells you everything you need to know about what is wrong with Boris Johnson’s politics and why he isn’t fit to be Prime Minister.

Yawn, you were DESPERATE for Sir Keir to fail and be walked all over you.

We seem to be very excited tonight and even now shouting

Let's see how this plays out in the days and weeks ahead

Starmer did OK but if the price of avoiding tariffs is a US - UK trade deal with all the implications of that I doubt many Labour supporters will be happy nor Lib dems

The devil will be in the detail as it is over all these "deals" including the Chagos Islands.

I don't know what else Starmer could have said and done - you don't go to someone else's house and pick a fight in their living room. It may be different if and when Trump comes back to London - we know he can do deference himself.

The troupe of foreign leaders coming to the Oval Office illustrates the projection of American power for all to see. Whether you consider Starmer, Macron and the like supplicants or not, the truth is they have to pay a degree of homage at the court of the President - it's the reality of geopolitics and diplomacy.

Ask yourself - would Badenoch have done or said anything different today?

I think Starmer did ok and seems to be acknowledged and no Badenoch wouldn't have done anything differently

However we all know Trump is not to be trusted and who knows what he may say even tomorrow

Sense of perspective is needed and to be honest Mandelson looks as if he was instrumental in a lot of today's talks

The inconsistency is a concern, no question, but what Trump says is arguably less important than how his advisers interpret what is said.

After all, the war in the Ukraine was going to be ended within 24 hours (apparently) and yet there still seems to be plenty of fighting and dying going on so it's a question of weeding out the hyperbole in Trump's comments.

I think foreign leaders generally are getting a better understanding of how to "handle" Trump this time. The Japanese led the way but both Starmer and Macron have played a similar game - plenty of personal flattery and deference for Trump but don't let the likes of Vance get away with it.

I expect many would have been happier if Starmer told Trump to get lost as that’s probably what many Brits would like to do .

But at what cost . As for the trade deal it’s not an all encompassing one , more centred around the tech industries which most of the public could care less about and it’s not going to be some farmers or NHS sell out .

Would Starmer falling out with Trump help or hinder Ukraine. Surely at this time walking on egg shells is necessary even though it makes many of us deeply uncomfortable .

Starmer took the grown up approach and good thing too, it's probably the best day he's had since the election but a lot relies on Trump doing what he's agreed to which could unravel quite quickly after he gets a phone call from Putin.

It is going to get worse for Labour. Trump and Musk are so going to butt-**** Starmer in half an hour. I am half expecting Andy Tate to be declared Prime Minister whilst Starmer is arrested for treason.

On the other hand, in other news, what is Suella on? She can be whatever she wants. If she doesn't want to be English/British, so be it, but she has no right to imply any of the England football team, past and present, that they aren't English. I am sure she sees some racist point scoring win in amongst her peculiar narrative. Silly woman.

Nah.

Trump/Musk approval ratings in the UK are dire. People might be supremely disappointed in Starmer, but the loathing some PBers feel for him is unusual. The contrast of the (relatively) benign Starmer with the grostesque US administration can only help him.

The comments on the BBC demonstrate the appetite for a Love Actually moment. People are aghast at the way Canada has been treated, and despite some of the clever economics chat on here, would support the PM if we responded in kind.

For sure. As soon as the US turned on Canada and Mexico, I decided to cut loose from my financial commitments to the US. Netflix, AppleTV, Paramount, all cancelled. Amazon Prime scheduled to stop in the autumn. No more Californian Pinot from Virgin Wines or Alaskan salmon from Waitrose. Not using Amazon at all is the tough one - the time and hassle it takes to try and buy the same stuff from domestic online suppliers, compared to the easy click and buy from Amazon, is remarkable. But I will do my best. The big question is my already booked trip to the US for 2026, which I may have to re-envisage as a mostly Canadian road trip.

It’s our 40th wedding anniversary this year and my wife is overdue a medal for good conduct and long suffering. We both have an interest in American history and had planned a trip to Washington and the civil war battle sites as a special treat.

Are you saying I should rethink this?

I suggest you postpone it for a year or two, then you might be able to get to encounter the second civil war in person.