Carney congratulates new U.K. prime minister and calls for closer ties

Prime Minister Mark Carney has congratulated Andy Burnham on becoming the new U.K. prime minister and said Canada wants to deepen cooperation with Britain on security, trade and defence supply chains. Burnham was sworn in on Monday after Keir Starmer stepped down, making him the fifth British prime minister in four years. Canadian officials say they expect to discuss issues such as the Defence, Security and Resilience Bank, which Canada wants the U.K. to join. At the Farnborough Air Show, Canadian ministers said the two countries could expand defence and trade ties. They also pointed to the existing CanadaU.K. trade relationship and said there is room to build on the current agreement, even though some talks on a fuller deal have stalled over dairy and beef market access. Burnham now faces a difficult domestic agenda, including a weak economy, rising living costs and pressure on public services. He has said his government will soon outline measures to address those problems and explain how they will be funded.