The Canadian election of 2025 was a masterclass in political resurrection, with Mark Carney pulling off a Liberal comeback echoing Boris Johnson’s 2019 UK triumph.
Carney, a former Bank of England governor, stepped into a Liberal Party battered by Justin Trudeau’s unpopularity and bracing for a Conservative rout led by Pierre Poilievre.
Sound familiar?
Brexit Bounce
Think back to 2019, when Theresa May’s Tories were humiliated in the European Elections, polling under 9%.
Boris swooped in, rebranded the party with Brexit bravado, and delivered a thumping majority by December.
Carney’s no Boris, but his steady, technocratic hand turned a 25-point Conservative lead into a Liberal victory in weeks.
How?
He seized on Donald Trump’s trade war and annexation threats, stoking Canadian pride and positioning himself as the man to face down the bully.
It was pure opportunism, like Boris riding the Brexit wave.
Labour 28%, Tories 25% – YouGov
Contrast this with Keir Starmer’s current malaise. Polls show Labour slipping, with YouGov pegging them at 28%, barely ahead of the Tories at 25%.
Starmer’s cautious, managerial style – eerily Carney-like – lacks the spark to ignite voters. He’s governing like May in 2019, bogged down by bureaucracy and failing to counter a resurgent Reform UK, much like Poilievre’s populist pitch faltered against Carney’s nationalism.
Boris turned it around by tapping into public frustration, promising to “Get Brexit Done.” Carney won by making the election about Canadian sovereignty.
Starmer Needs a Bold Narrative
Starmer needs a similarly bold narrative – perhaps on economic renewal or NHS reform – to reverse his slide.
The lesson?
Voters crave clarity and fight. Carney and Boris delivered.
Starmer’s dithering risks Labour obituary. Politics rewards those who seize the moment, not those who merely manage it.
Change of Leader?
However, I’m sure Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting have noticed it normally takes a change of leader to really turn the ship around.
