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566. Carney vs. Trump and Alastair’s Advice for Burnham’s First PMQs

Published 26 Aug 2026with Rory Stewart & Alastair CampbellListen to the episode ↗

The hosts open on the deteriorating US-Canada relationship, arguing Trump's demands go beyond trade into control of Canadian sovereignty, and read Canada's decision to walk away from talks as a defining moment akin to a "Liberation Day". They set out how integrated the two economies are and how exposed Canada is, before turning to whether this crisis creates an opening for Canada to align more closely with Europe, discussing what a wider "third leg" grouping alongside the US and China might look like.

The second half moves to the Middle East, examining pressure on Mahmoud Abbas to hold long-delayed Palestinian elections, polling on Palestinian public opinion, and the unusual political realignment between a UAE-linked Fatah figure and Hamas. The hosts also revisit an Israeli strike on a paramedic convoy and the findings of a forensic investigation into it, linking it to a broader discussion about impunity and the International Criminal Court. They close with lighter material: preparing Andy Burnham for his first Prime Minister's Questions, personal anecdotes from politics and television, and a mention of a youth sports festival.

Housing Stock

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The hosts discussed UK government pledge on homebuilding this parliament (they cited 1,500,000 homes). For context, Trend's Homes per 1,000 People series stands at 437 (2024), source MHCLG · National Records of Scotland · StatsWales · Dept for Communities (NI), drawn from Trend's live data, not the episode. Explore the board →

Key points from the discussion

The points they raised, and the official data behind them.

  • The hosts said around the time Trump returned to office, Canada sent about 76% of all its exports to the United States.

    ~5:30

    Context

    The hosts used this to illustrate how economically dependent Canada is on the United States, framing Trump's tariff and trade demands as potentially catastrophic for Canada given this reliance.

  • The hosts said two and a half million Canadian jobs are directly dependent on trade with the United States.

    ~5:40

  • The hosts put US-Canada trade at over a trillion dollars, representing about 16% of the entire Canadian economy.

    ~5:45

  • The hosts cited a forensic investigation finding that 844 gunshots were fired in five minutes and thirty seconds during an Israeli attack on a paramedic convoy in Gaza.

    ~33:20

    Context

    The hosts referenced a report by the research groups Forensic Architecture and Earshot into an April 2025 incident in which Israeli soldiers fired on clearly marked ambulances and aid workers in Gaza. The report reportedly found five shooters firing simultaneously with no obstructed sightlines, and described soldiers approaching and shooting some aid workers at close range before burying bodies at the site.

  • The hosts referenced a poll showing support for Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations has risen to 44%, the highest in four years.

    ~30:55

    Context

    The hosts cited polling from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research on Palestinian public attitudes ahead of potential elections, covering support for negotiations, armed struggle, and a two-state solution.

  • The hosts noted that Andy Burnham's predecessor pledged to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament.

    ~43:47

    Official figure · Homes per 1,000 People

    4372024 · MHCLG · National Records of Scotland · StatsWales · Dept for Communities (NI)
    Explore the board →Charted above

    Context

    This referenced the UK government's stated target for new housing completions across the current parliamentary term, used by the hosts as an example of a detailed factual question an opposition leader might use to test a prime minister at PMQs.