Image source, Reuters

Not long after Mark Carney was declared the winner in the Liberal leadership race on Sunday night, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was offering his congratulations.

The Progressive Conservative has said he is looking forward to renewed leadership "when it comes to supporting projects that will unleash the economic potential" of Canada.

"Your election comes at a critical time as our country continues to stare down the ongoing threat of President Trump’s tariffs," he says.

A fresh test of that unity might be coming today, when Ford is expected to provide more details about his provincial government's plans to cut off power supply to the US if President Donald Trump continues with tariffs against Canada.

He has said he would implement a 25% surcharge on Canadian electricity exports to three US states: Michigan, New York and Minnesota, and would consider completely cutting those states off from Canadian power if the US tariffs were escalated.

That news conference is scheduled to begin at 11:00 EDT (15:00 GMT), but we'll be poised to bring you the key lines when it gets under way.

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining us, or are in need of a recap, here's a quick look at what's been going on in Canada in the last 24 hours - and what we can expect in the coming days:

The Liberal leadership race

• Former Bank of England boss Mark Carney won a landslide victory yesterday to become leader of the Liberal Party of Canada - he will replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister in the coming days
• He won a whopping 85.9% of the votes, beating three rivals in the short but competitive sprint for the leadership

Next steps

• Before Carney can take over from Trudeau, the current PM needs to officially resign
• There's no exact date for this yet, but Trudeau will remain in post until he meets with Governor General Mary Simon
• Carney will then be invited to form a government ahead of a general election, which needs to be held by 20 October, but is expected to take place much sooner

Their speeches

• In his victory speech, Carney promised to face down the threats of tariffs from US President Donald Trump - "Americans should make no mistake...in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win," he said
• Trudeau also alluded to the tariff threats in his farewell address, pledging that Canada would fight "elbows up" - he was also seen wiping away tears at one point

International reactions

• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has congratulated Carney, saying he looks forward to working together on "shared international priorities"
• French President Emmanuel Macron has suggested the ties between the two countries are "stronger than ever" in his congratulation message to the next PM

Navigating economic crises is Carney's sweet spotpublished at 13:33 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March

13:33 GMT 10 March

Faisal Islam
Economics editor

Mark Carney follows in the footsteps of Mario Draghi as a former top central banker who has become a G7 leader.

He knows the numbers, but it is an otherwise rare path. It may be opportune, however, at a moment where his country’s nearest neighbour has suggested using economic power to take over Canada.

The former governor has experienced a number of acute political-economic crises, from the banking crash, the eurozone crisis, sterlings sharp slide after Brexit, and the start of the pandemic.

Carney regularly attended G20 meetings at leader level, including in the presence of Donald Trump, as Chair of the Financial Stability Board.

At one of those meeting, the Trump team threatened to leave the IMF.

He believes that Trump only respects power, and of any attempt to mollify Trump he said: "Good luck with that."

He will focus further tariff retaliation on bringing home raising inflation and interest rates to Canada’s "southern neighbour".

The Canadian election is due by October, but he might call an earlier one. Depending on that, he is on course to host Trump in Alberta at the G7 Summit in June.

A change is in the airpublished at 13:12 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March

13:12 GMT 10 March

Jessica Murphy
BBC News, reporting from Ottawa

Image source, Reuters

Liberals I spoke with last night in Ottawa are optimistic. After months of grim polling for the party they suddenly saw a real chance at a return to power.

Carney won the leadership with a blowout - getting more of the vote than even Justin Trudeau did in 2013, when he took the helm.

There is certainly no sense Liberals want to shy away from heading into a general election, or that they feel Mark Carney - who has never held elected office - needs much runway to find his political footing.

The party is also touting a recent surge in grassroots organising and fundraising.

There is a sense they see this as an unprecedented moment in Canada - with a resurgence of patriotism in the country in the face of a trade war with the US - ready to be seized.

Carney "is a very, very attractive candidate for Canadians", David McGuinty, the federal public safety minister, has told me.

"I'm really, really excited for what's coming. And frankly, it's time for an election."

There are no firm timings yet on the handover between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Carney, the prime minister-designate, though it's expected in the coming days, with an election call not long after.

Image source, EPA

Mark Carney is set to become Canada's 24th prime minister after a landslide victory in the Liberal Party leadership race.

While the 59-year-old is best known for his career in banking, having served as the former governor of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, here's a look at some of the lesser-known aspects of Carney's life:

• Early life: Carney was born in the remote northern town of Fort Smith, in the Northwest Territories to a high-school principal and teacher. The family later moved to the prairies, where his father ran (unsuccessfully) as a Liberal candidate in Edmonton-South
• Education: He went to Harvard University on scholarship where he played ice hockey. He later earned his PhD in economics from Oxford University
• Family: He is married to Diana Fox, a British economist, and they have four daughters together
• Citizenship: In addition to being a Canadian citizen, he is an Irish and British citizen - he intends to renounce both, CBC reports, external. (Carney only gained his UK passport in 2018, five years after he began serving as governor of the Bank of England)

• Political career: Carney has little direct experience in politics, having never held public office. He once brushed off the prospect of entering politics, telling a reporter in 2012: "Why don't I become a circus clown?"
• Climate advocacy: He has previously served as the UNspecial envoy for climate action and finance
• A regular at G20 meetings: He's had a pitch-side view of Trump on the global stage at the G20 gatherings
• A friendly rivalry: Carney is the godfather of former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's son. Freeland, who also ran in the leadership contest, and Carney have been friends for decades

Two events have rocked Canadian politics in recent months: the resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in January and the election of US President Trump, who has entered the office equipped with tariff threats and talk of absorbing Canada as a 51st state.

Since mid-2023, the Conservatives - the official opposition party - have held a double-digit lead against Trudeau's Liberals. The former has appealed to voters on issues including the cost of living, crime and healthcare - with its leader Pierre Poilievre pitting these issues as consequences of Trudeau's "disastrous" policies.

Trump's threats of annexation and a trade war seem to have influenced the Canadian populace, with recent polling from the Toronto-based Innovative Research Group suggesting a majority of them are now most concerned about the Trump presidency.

Demonstrations of national unity from the public in recent weeks have included Canadian sports fans booing the American national anthem and local businesses taking US products off their menus.

Image source, Getty Images

Meanwhile, support for the Liberals has surged amid party messaging that has sought to align Poilievre with Trump. At the leadership debate, candidates referred to Poilievre as "our little version of Trump here at home".

Last night, Carney laid out what voters can expect from his approach to the US president - saying "Americans should make no mistake [...] In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win".

The Conservative leader has also pushed back against the notion of becoming the 51st state and Trump has distanced himself from Poilievre, calling him "not Maga enough".

Image source, Reuters

As we've been reporting, Justin Trudeau's time as prime minister will be coming to an end in the next few days, as we wait for him to officially pass the torch to his successor, Mark Carney (some more details about how that happens here).

The outgoing leader gave a defiant farewell address last night in the face of Donald Trump's economic threats, as his Liberal Party picked a new leader.

His daughter Ella-Grace Trudeau, 16, introduced him to the stage at the leadership event, and spoke about the challenges of growing up in the public eye.

"I'm looking forward to seeing more of him at home and less of him online," she said, referring to what she described as a stream of news about her father on social media.

In his farewell address, Trudeau, who once said in his early years that he would never go into politics, proclaimed that he was "damn proud" of the past 10 years.

"But tonight is about our future, as a party, as a country," he added.

The 53-year-old, who promised "sunny ways" when he swept to power in 2015, recounted the "challenging" past years, saying Canadians have faced "crisis after crisis".

A big part of his speech was the escalating trade tensions between Canada and the US. At one point, Trudeau said Canada was facing an "existential threat" from his neighbour.

"Your country needs you more than ever," he said, as the crowd clapped and cheered.

He ended his speech by saying: "I have done by level best, each and every single day to help build a country that stays worthy of all Canadians."

It was a night of change in Ottawa, as the Liberal Party ushered in a new leader and bid farewell to its current prime minister, Justin Trudeau, after he'd held Canada's top job for nearly 10 years.

The next party leader and incoming prime minister Mark Carney beat out hopefuls Chrystia Freeland, Karina Gould and Frank Baylis, after he secured a landslide victory with 85.9% of the ballots.

Image source, Reuters

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Justin Trudeau has served as the leader of the Liberal Party for nearly 12 years. But that chapter came to a close last night, when Mark Carney won the leadership race to replace him.

That election was set in motion earlier this year by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation, which came at a time when the 53-year-old leader was facing growing pressure from his party.

"This country deserves a real choice in the next election and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election," Trudeau said at a news conference at the time.

Trudeau's unpopularity had become an increasing drag on his party's fortunes. By late 2024, his approval rating plummeted, with just 22% of Canadians saying they thought he was doing a good job, according to one polling tracker, external.

He had faced growing calls to quit from inside his own party, which ramped up in December when former deputy prime minister and long-time ally Chrystia Freeland, who also ran in yesterday's leadership contest, abruptly resigned.

In a public resignation letter, Freeland cited Donald Trump's threats of tariffs on Canadian goods and accused Trudeau of not doing enough to address the "grave challenge".

Following Freeland's resignation, Trudeau lost the backing of parties that had previously helped keep the Liberals in power - namely the left-leaning New Democrats, who had a support agreement with the Liberals - and the Bloc Quebecois.

• The BBC's Jessica Murphy breaks down further why Trudeau was asked for months before resigning - when will you step down?

Image source, Reuters

New leader of the Liberal Party and incoming Prime Minister Mark Carney has little direct political experience.

The 59-year-old, who has a strong background in global finance, has never held an elected office, let alone serve in a cabinet position.

While it's rare to see a politician claim the top job in Canada without first being elected a MP, it is still possible.

A recent example of this is former Prime Minister John Turner's tenure. Turner ran and won the Liberal leadership race in 1984, and would go on to become prime minister that same year. He had earlier served as an MP in Pierre Trudeau's government, but left his seat in 1976 after a falling out with Trudeau.

Carney is expected to be sworn in as the next prime minister in the coming days.

Ahead of his win as the next Liberal Party leader, he hinted that he plans to call an election soon, before the parliament is scheduled to return on 24 March.

It's unclear whether the incoming PM would run as an MP in one of Canada's 343 federal electoral districts in that election or where exactly he would run, as he has yet to confirm those plans.

Image source, Reuters

As the newly elected leader of the Liberal Party, Mark Carney will soon become the prime minister of Canada. He will also represent the party in the upcoming election, which as we've been reporting, must be called by 20 October (but will likely happen before then).

The former central banker has run on a broadly centrist agenda - here's a quick overview of some of the ideas he has presented so far:

• Climate: Remove the consumer carbon tax and replace it with incentives for "greener choices" such as energy efficient homes
• Government: Cap the size of the federal government and use technology to mitigate inefficiencies
• Trade: Remove barriers to internal trade - Carney has pledged to "immediately" convene a First Ministers' Meeting on this and has proposed three possible ways to achieve this pledge
• Taxes: Cut taxes for the middle class and provide "additional boosts" for younger Canadians' incomes
• Housing: Double the pace of new housing construction over the next decade and increase the size of the construction sector workforce

Read more about Carney's CV and how Britain's former top banker became Canada's next prime minister.

The stakes are raised for the UKpublished at 09:44 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March

09:44 GMT 10 March

Faisal Islam
Economics editor

Carney’s rise to the top job raises the stakes for the UK.

On the one hand, a more robust approach from an allied G7 leader stands in contrast to the UK’s attempt to hug the White House closely.

Carney also hinted at wanting to diversify trade towards "more reliable" partners, which would include the UK and the EU. Canada might send its subsidised energy to Europe, rather than the US.

The bigger strategic point is that Carney’s background means a focus on international solidarity, and defence of the existing multilateral system.

He says Canada can "stand on its own feet" but sees merit in creating a more coherent international alliance to focus the minds of Congress and tariff-sceptics in the Trump administration.

Canada’s new leadership expects support from its Commonwealth ally, the UK.

After my recent interview with Carney he turned the camera to the portrait on the wall of the office from which he was talking to me: King Charles III.

The message was clear. Canada and the UK should be on the same side, in this new world era.

Image source, Reuters

We're beginning to see some international reaction filter through following Mark Carney's victory last night.

A short while ago, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer sent his congratulations to the new leader of the Liberal Party and the soon-to-be prime minister of Canada.

The UK prime minister has also wished outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau well.

Carney takes top job as Canada stares down threat of US tariffspublished at 09:26 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March

09:26 GMT 10 March

Faisal Islam
Economics editor

Mark Carney’s elevation to the top job in Canada is of particular significance at this moment when his country is at the frontline of a North American trade war. Carney becomes the "anti-Trump" on the US president’s doorstep.

The former Bank of England governor chose to lean strongly into resisting Donald Trump’s policies at his acceptance speech.

He said the US president had brought "dark days" from "a country we can no longer trust" and that he was "proud" of Canadians resisting the US "with their wallets".

While on trade specifically Carney vowed to keep the retaliatory tariffs "until Americans show us respect", it was clear that the general threats against Canadian sovereignty are equally as important in his thinking. The US president has repeatedly said he will use economic power to encourage Canada to become the 51st state of the US.

"The Americans want our resources, our land, our water, our country… Canada will never be part of America in any way shape or form," Carney said.

Behind the scenes, Carney has been encouraging a very robust response to Trump.

As he told me last month in his only UK interview during his campaign to succeed Justin Trudeau, it was necessary to "stand up to bullies".

He ridiculed the president’s allegations of Canada’s involvement in the fentanyl trade, and his suggestion that his country ripped off the US.

Canada’s trade deficit is caused "entirely" by its exports of subsidised oil, Carney told me, and "perhaps we should ask for that subsidy back".

Image source, Reuters

Mark Carney's victory speech last night saw him promising to face down the threats from Trump over the tariffs.

It'll be an issue that's top of mind for the incoming prime minister, as just last week, the US brought in extensive 25% tariffs on Canadian goods. Trump has suspended some of those until 2 April - but exemptions applied only to goods covered under North America's free trade pact.

This has formed the latest step in a back-and-forth on tariffs between the US and Canada (as well as Mexico) and is a move that outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau has criticised as a "very dumb thing to do".

As a reminder, US$2.5bn worth of goods and services cross over the US-Canada border daily, according to the Canadian government.

On 4 March, the Canadian government introduced 25% tariffs on certain goods imported from the US ($30bn worth) to remain in place "until the US eliminates its tariffs against Canadian goods".

A lengthy list of goods has been published on their website and includes products such as peanut butter, wine, spirits, footwear, motorcycles and cosmetics.

Canada has further set out an intention for further 25% tariffs if the US does not scrap those they have set on Ottawa. Electric vehicles, trucks and buses could be among the affected products here - amounting to $125bn worth of imports.

"All options remain on the table," the Canadian government sets out online.

Image source, Reuters

Most British audiences waking up to the news that Mark Carney will become the next prime minister of Canada will be more familiar with his work as governor of the Bank of England - the first non-British person to do so in its more than 300-year history.

But his time at the bank gave him plenty of experience dealing with Donald Trump, who has not only imposed steep tariffs on Canada since returning to office in January, but has also suggested that America should annex its less powerful neighbour.

While in London, he was also chair of the Financial Stability Board, which co-ordinated the work of regulatory authorities around the world - giving him a key role in the global response to the policies of the first Trump presidency.

He was a regular at the G20 meetings, with a pitch-side view of Trump on the global stage.

Carney is now taking over from Trudeau during one of Canada's toughest challenges - an escalating trade war with its biggest trading partner, the United States.

During his victory speech last night, the former central banker gave some insight on how he plans to approach negotiations with Trump.

"We can't let him succeed," he said, as the crowd booed loudly, adding that Canadian retaliatory tariffs would remain in place "until the Americans show us respect".

Trump's threats have changed everything about Canada's politicspublished at 08:25 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March

08:25 GMT 10 March

Nadine Yousif
North America reporter

Image source, Getty Images

If you had asked Canadians a few months ago who would win the country's next general election, most would have predicted a decisive victory for the Conservative Party.

That outcome does not look so certain now.

In the wake of US President Donald Trump's threats against Canada, the ruling Liberal Party has surged in the polls, shrinking the double-digit lead their Conservative rivals had held steadily since mid-2023.

The dramatic change in the country's political landscape reflects how Trump's tariffs and his repeated calls to make Canada "the 51st state" have fundamentally altered Canadian voters' priorities.

Trump's rhetoric has "pushed away all of the other issues" that were top of mind for Canadians before his inauguration on 20 January, notes Luc Turgeon, a political science professor at the University of Ottawa.

It has even managed to revive the once deeply unpopular Trudeau, whose approval rating has climbed by 12 points since December.

On Sunday, Liberals voted Mark Carney in as leader, who now takes over a party running a precarious minority government.

The new leader will have two immediate decisions to make: how to respond to Trump's threats, and when to call a general election. The answer to the first dilemma will surely influence the second.

• Continue reading about how Trump's threats have changed everything about Canada's politics

Image source, Reuters

The maximum time between federal elections in Canada is five years.

As we've been reporting this morning, however, Canadians could soon find themselves preparing to head to the polls, as many political leaders have been calling for a federal election to be held much sooner than the 20 October deadline.

Canada's system is very similar to the UK's. Voters in Canada do not directly cast ballots for a prime ministerial candidate, but for an MP (Member of Parliament). The leader of the party with the most MPs voted in will then lead the country. The country has 343 federal electoral districts and operates under a "first-past-the-post" system.

Mark Carney's party, the Liberals, will face three other main parties in the next election; the Conservatives, the New Democrats (NDP) and the Bloc Quebecois.

The party standings in Canada's House of Commons are:

• The Liberal Party, in power since 2015, has 153 seats
• The Conservative Party, the official opposition, has 120 seats
• The Bloc Quebecois, which only runs candidates in the province of Quebec, has 33 seats
• The NDP has 24 seats

• And the Green Party hold two seats

Image source, Reuters

As we've been reporting, Mark Carney has been voted in as Justin Trudeau's replacement as the leader of Canada's Liberal Party.

This means that he will also replace him as Canadian prime minister, as the party is currently in power - but that's not something that happens immediately.

Trudeau needs to officially resign to enable Carney to be sworn in by the governor general (the federal representative of Canada's head of state, King Charles III). Carney will then be invited to form a government.

There's no exact date for this yet, but Trudeau will remain in the post until he meets with Governor General Mary Simon.

As a reminder, the country also needs to have a general election by 20 October.

An election could be triggered either by Carney calling a snap election himself or opposition parties using a no-confidence vote to do so, but that couldn't happen until parliament (which is currently prorogued) reconvenes on 24 March.

One of the standout moments from last night - outside of Mark Carney winning the Liberal leadership race handily - was outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's final address as leader of the party.

During his speech, he pledged that Canada would fight "elbows up", alluding to Donald Trump's tariff threats.

Trudeau, who is stepping down as PM after almost a decade leading the country and nearly 12 years as head of the Liberal Party, appeared to tear up at one point.

Addressing a rapturous crowd, Trudeau also recounted the party's ups and downs over the years.

You can watch that moment here: