Image source, EPA

Mark Carney is set to be Canada's next prime minister, at least for now.

Carney, who was born in Canada's Northwest Territories and spent his formative years in Edmonton, Alberta, has been serving in recent months as a special economics adviser to Justin Trudeau.

He was the first non-British person to become governor of the Bank of England in its more than 300-year history when he took the job in 2013.

The Harvard graduate had previously steered his home country through the Great Recession as the governor of the Bank of Canada, the country's central bank, before being poached for Britain's top banking job.

But unlike most PM-hopefuls, Carney has never held political office. Still, he won the contest to replace outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau handily. Now, he must lead the country through one of its toughest challenges yet - an escalating trade war with its biggest trading partner, the United States.

He's sought to position himself as the man who can steer the country through the fallout caused by US President Donald Trump's tariffs.

"In a situation like this, you need experience in terms of crisis management, you need negotiating skills," he said during a leadership debate last month.

• Read more about how Britain's top banker is set to become Canada's next prime minister

Canadian sovereignty takes centre stagepublished at 06:38 Greenwich Mean Time 10 March

06:38 GMT 10 March

John Sudworth
North America correspondent, reporting from Ottawa

Image source, Reuters

Mark Carney’s thumping victory makes him not only leader of the Liberal Party but, by default, the next Canadian prime minister. It’s an extraordinary result for a man with very little political experience having never been elected as an MP, let alone served in a cabinet post.

But politics in this country has been turned on its head in recent weeks as a result of what’s happening south of the border, with Donald Trump launching a trade war and threatening to make Canada the 51st state of America.

Addressing the crowd last night, Carney said that was something he’d never let happen. "Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form. We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves. So Americans should make no mistake…In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win."

Carney is likely to announce a speedy general election and although the gap is narrowing with the Conservative opposition, the polls show them still in the lead.

But the Liberal Party which – a few weeks ago – seemed tired after three terms in office with growing public anger over the rising cost of living now believes it has a fighting chance, with sovereignty - not the economy - now the defining issue thanks in large part, to President Trump.

Cachella Smith
Live reporter

Welcome back to our continuing coverage of Mark Carney's landslide victory to replace Justin Trudeau as both the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and, more significantly, the country's next prime minister.

The former central banker beat three rivals in the Liberal Party's leadership race with 85.9% of the ballots and centred his victory speech around attacking US President Donald Trump over the ongoing tariff war.

"Americans should make no mistake," he said.

"In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win."

Carney is expected to be sworn in as prime minister in the coming days. He will then stand for the Liberals in the next general election - that has to be called by 20 October, but it's widely believed that Carney will want to capitalise on last night's momentum, and could call it within weeks.

We'll have more details with you shortly on what happens next, as well as some background information on Mark Carney - make sure to keep checking in.

Image source, Getty Images

We're pausing our live coverage after Mark Carney was decisively elected the Liberal Party's new leader, making him the successor to Justin Trudeau as Canada's next prime minister.

Carney obtained more than 85% of the votes, beating his closest rival, former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, by a landslide.

"This room is strong. This room is Canada strong," Carney said in his victory speech.

He emphasised that "dark, dark days" are ahead for his country, specifically in reference to Donald Trump and the tariffs imposed by the US president.

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has come out in criticism of Carney since his victory, saying Liberals "are trying to trick Canadians" to elect them to a fourth term.

Carney will be sworn in as prime minister in the next few days, once Trudeau has officially resigned. But he will soon be thrust into a general election campaign, which is expected to be called in the coming weeks.

Read more: How Britain's former top banker became Canada's next prime minister

The Conservative Party has released a statement further criticising Carney and the Liberals.

In a statement, the party argues that Carney "is just like" Justin Trudeau.

It goes onto quote Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, saying: "Working for Trudeau, Carney made Canada weaker and poorer. Working for himself, Carney made the United States richer and stronger. And for the first time in our history, Canada will have a sneaky Prime Minister with millions of dollars of financial interests that go directly against our national interest."

"And make no mistake, Donald Trump will have a big smile on his face as he exploits all of Carney's many conflicts to attack Canadian workers and Canadian jobs. But we Conservatives won't let either of them do it. We will put Canada first."

• For context: Carney did not disclose his financial assets while campaigning to be Liberal leader, as he is not an elected member of parliament and so is not subject to those rules. Carney's campaign team has said if he becomes prime minister, "he would not merely comply with all applicable ethics rules and guidelines, but surpass them."

Jessica Murphy
Reporting from Ottawa

Yasir Naqvi, a Liberal member of Parliament, says the election was "very exciting".

"Liberals choosing a new leader, a leader who really has experience to strengthen Canada's economy, to defend Canada, to ensure that Canada stands up to the Untied States and charts a path forward that will make a better future for all Canadians," he tells the BBC.

Naqvi says there is a heightened level of anxiety among Canadians related to the threat from the United States.

"They want a leader that is actually going to put Canadian values and Canadian economy and sovereignty first and foremost and be able to use his experience to make that happen," he says. "Mark Carney is that guy. That's why he won so big in this leadership because he's got that experience."

Political reaction to tonight's verdict is continuing to come in.

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault says: "Happy for Carney, less so for Canada."

He likens Carney to Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, saying: "The Liberals just chose a banker who decided his first two actions are to << axe the tax >> and walk the capital gains tax back.

"He kneels before Pierre Polievre and wants us to believe he will stand strong before Donald Trump?"

Pedneault calls for an election as soon as possible, saying: "We won't let Carney or Poilievre walk us back on climate action and the fight against inequality."

• For context: Carney said his government will "immediately eliminate the divisive consumer carbon tax" and "stop the hike in the capital gains tax" in his speech following his victory.

Image source, Reuters

Former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who came in second place to become the next leader of the Liberal Party, has told reporters that Carney has her support.

In quotes cited by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, she says she will run in the next federal election and pointed to it being Carney's decision when asked about serving in his cabinet.

Freeland resigned from Trudeau's cabinet last December, triggering a crisis within the party that eventually led to Trudeau's decision to step down.

Jessica Murphy
Reporting from Ottawa

Canada's Public Safety Minister David McGuinty tells me he is not surprised by Carney's convincing victory.

"I knew a lot about what was happening in the engine room. Is a very well-run campaign. Mark Carney is a very, very attractive candidate for Canadians.

"I think that he embodies the kind of quiet determination, but steely determination and competence to deal with some of these big issues".

McGuinty adds that Carney's experience will be "very important in all negotiations and discussions with the United States".

Image source, Reuters

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre has criticised Mark Carney's victory, saying Liberals "are trying to trick Canadians" to elect them to a fourth term.

"It is the same Liberal team that drove up taxes, housing costs, and food prices, while Carney personally profited from moving billions of dollars and thousands of jobs out of Canada to the United States," he writes.

"We need a new Conservative government that will put Canada First—for a change."

Poilievre and Carney will be campaigning against one another in this year's general election, once it is called.

In his earlier speech, Carney took multiple swipes at Poilievre, saying that "if he succeeds, [he] will weaken our economy".

Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada's New Democratic Party, has congratulated Carney on his win in a post on X.

Singh writes that Canadians are counting on political leaders "to fight for them in these challenging times".

"We will disagree on many ideas, priorities and policies - but we should always stand united in protecting our country from the threat posed by Donald Trump," he says.

The outcome of the vote tonight decides who will become the leader of Canada's Liberals, but because the party is currently in power, it also effectively decides who will replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister.

But that does not mean the winner takes on the role of PM as soon as the result is announced.

Trudeau needs to first officially resign in order for Carney to then be sworn in by the governor general, who will invite Carney to form a government.

A general election must also be held by 20 October, so any new PM is not expected to be in post for long before the Canadian people get a chance to have their say on who leads the nation.

Liberals believe they have fighting chance at general election with Carney in chargepublished at 23:38 Greenwich Mean Time 9 March

23:38 GMT 9 March

John Sudworth
North America correspondent, reporting from Ottawa

Tonight, after this internal party election, Canada is looking at its new prime minister.

Following the outgoing leader Justin Trudeau’s announcement in January that he intended to step down, the nature of this country’s parliamentary democracy meant that, whoever leads the party with the largest majority in the House of Commons becomes the head of the Canadian government.

Even if that man is Mark Carney, a man with very little political experience. He has never held a cabinet position. He has never even been elected as an MP.

What he does have though, is a long track record in global finance during times of economic turbulence.

In the few short weeks since he threw his hat into the ring, he has been making much of his experience of crisis management, as former governor of the Bank of Canada during the global financial crisis and governor of the Bank of England during the Brexit negotiations.

And Canada is indeed facing a crisis, with US President Donald Trump's implementation of tariffs and his repeated calls for Canada to become the US's "51st state".

Trump’s election has led Canada to rally around its flag and has now propelled a former central bank governor – an archetypal member of the country’s political elite – to the prime ministership.

And while the Conservatives may still lead in the polls, for the first time in a long time, the Liberals believe that, under Carney, they have a fighting chance again.

"These are dark days brought on by a country we can no longer trust," Carney says.

"We are getting over the shock but let us never forget the lessons - we have to look after ourselves and we have to look out each other

"We need to pull together in the tough days ahead."

Addressing people across Canada, he says: "I promise you this, together we can and we will get through this crisis.

"We can and we will come out stronger than ever, and we will because Canada is built on the strength of its people."

"Vive le Canada" - love live Canada - he says, before wrapping up his remarks.

Carney is continuing to attack Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre. He stresses that "unlike" Poilievre, he has experience working in the private sector.

"I know how the world works and I know how it can be made to work better for all of us," he says.

He goes onto say that "in this crisis, we must help those who are hit hardest by the American tariffs while we build our strength here at home."

"That is right thing to do. That is the fair thing to do. That is the Canadian thing to do. That is what makes us strong," he says to applause from the crowd.

"Donald Trump thinks he can weaken us with his plan to divide and conquer. Pierre Poilievre will leave us divided and ready to be conquered because a person who worships at the altar of Donald Trump will kneel before him, not stand up to him," he says.

Still speaking about the changed situation in the US, Carney says: "We didn't ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves."

The Americans should make no mistake, he says "in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win".

Trump is trying to weaken Canada's economy, but there is "someone else, who if he succeeds, will weaken our economy," he adds, criticising Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre.

Poilievre "is the type of lifelong politician... who worships at the alter of the free market despite never having made a payroll himself", Carney says.

He runs through a number of criticisms of his Conservative rival, saying he would "let our planet burn".

Carney is now referencing the United States, saying Americans "want our resources, water, our land, our country".

"Think about it. If they succeeded, they would destroy our way of life," he says.

Carney references how healthcare in America is a big business, whereas in Canada it is a right.

"America is a melting pot. Canada is a mosaic," he says.

"America is not Canada," he adds. "Canada will never ever be part of America in any way, shape or form."

Moving to his plans for the party and the country, he says that the new challenges Canada faces "demand new ideas and new plans".

"Canadians want positive leadership that will end division and help us build together," he says.

Carney adds his new government will put a new plan to build a stronger economy into action, adding he wants to secure strong relation with "reliable" trade partners - as well as secure Canada's borders.

He also touches on some campaign pledges, including the elimination of a consumer carbon tax on families and a halt on the hike of capital gains tax - which earns him another round of cheering.

The newly-elected Liberal leader also addresses the challenges Trump's tariff threats pose, saying "we cannot let him succeed, and we won't".

"We are Canada strong," he repeats before reiterating his country was right to retaliate against the US. The measures will remain in place until the US can join us in making credible and reliable commitments to free and fair trade, he says.

Carney says that right now all Canadians are being asked to serve in their own way, all being asked to stand up for Canada.

"Who is ready to stand up for Canada with me?" he asks the room, which is met by cheers.

"Yes Canada, the Liberal Party is united and strong and ready to fight to build an even better country," he says.

Carney is now on stage delivering his acceptance speech.

"Prime minister, I think it's clear we should just skip a generation," he joked, referencing his daughter's speech and the speech from Trudeau's daughter earlier.

"This room is strong. This room is Canada strong," he says in his opening remarks.

He thanks his family for their support.

Carney references Chretien's speech and says the former prime minister inspired his family to become liberals. He says his father decided to run as a liberal candidate in Alberta in the 1980s.

"You inspired me over the years and now to have an opportunity to continue your tradition of fiscal responsibility, social justice and international leadership," he says.